The UK features one of the world’s largest online gaming markets. It offers hundreds of online casinos and countless slot machine games.
Regarding the latter, the UK boasts slots from many premium providers. It also offers some of the largest jackpots anywhere.
With that said, this country is definitely one of the best places to enjoy mobile slots online for real money. Like any market, though, it also has some downsides.
I’m going to discuss the pros and cons of playing online slots here. But first, I’ll go over what makes the UK’s mobile gaming market unique from the rest.
The Defining Characteristics of UK Online Gaming
Most national governments didn’t start discussing online gambling until the early 2000s. Most of the same governments were deciding whether or not they should ban the activity. The UK, however, was ahead of its time with regard to internet gambling. It was already putting measures in place to regulate online gaming.
It officially accomplished this goal in 2005 after launching an internet gambling market. It also created the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which regulates both online and land-based gaming in the country. Regulation is the key to what makes the UK is market so special. The UKGC sets forth many standards regarding gambling advertising, operator behavior, player-casino disputes, and licensing fees.
Note:
The UKGC doesn’t directly handle unresolved disputes between players and casinos. Instead, it features an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) program that calls on both sides to use a third party. The chosen mediator will look at each argument and settle the matter. Another aspect that makes the UK mobile gaming market so unique is the sheer volume of casinos and slots. Many operators seek and obtain licensing in this country.
They know that the UK offers a lucrative and prestigious market. Many adults within the population of 66.7 million enjoy gambling. With that said, online casinos can make quite a bit of money here. They also don’t have to pay heavy regulatory fees until they start making serious money (e.g. £100 million or more). The entry costs to the market are relatively low.
Additionally, this gaming market extends across all of the country. Operators only need to get one national license rather than individual state licenses as in the US.
Pros of UK Online Slots
You’ll enjoy several benefits when playing mobile slots in the UK. Here are the main perks that you can look forward to when spinning the reels in this country.
Thoroughly-Regulated Market
The UKGC is far from the only gaming governing body in the world. Dozens of other internet gaming regulators exist throughout the industry.
However, the UKGC is quite possibly the most experienced and respected of these governing bodies. It takes great steps to ensure that protections are in place for gamblers. It requires casinos to maintain certain standards to operate in its market. It will also take action when necessary.
For example, the UKGC once levied a £7.8 million fine against 888 Holdings for “failing to protect vulnerable customers.” 888 failed to bar over 7,000 customers who were on a self-exclusion list and failed to detect obvious signs of problem gambling.
In short, you have little to worry about in terms of fair gaming when playing online slots. Protections are in place to ensure that you don’t get mistreated by operators.
Numerous Online Slots to Choose From
You won’t be at a loss for options when searching for online games in the UK. Thousands of slots exist across the country’s internet gaming market.
Furthermore, most of the premier developers operate in this market. Big Time Gaming, ELK Studios, Microgaming, Quickspin, Play’n GO, Push Gaming, and Red Tiger Gaming are just some of the providers serving this nation.
This large number of premium developers ensures that you’ll have access to the latest slots and most innovative bonus features. Contrast this to many countries with unregulated markets, which don’t have access to the top slots providers.
Play for Huge Jackpots
The UK market boasts many of the biggest progressive jackpots in gaming. Here are the largest online slots jackpot available in the UK at the time of this writing:
- Mega Moolah (Mega) – £8.87 million
- Jackpot King – £6.1 million
- Hall of Gods (Mega) – £4.76 million
- Jackpot Giant – £4.55 million
- Aladdin’s Lamp – £3.27 million
You don’t just have to rely on progressive jackpots to win big. Many of the slots also feature huge bonus prizes.
Push Gaming’s Razor Shark, for example, pays up to 50,000x your stake. With a $100 maximum wager available, you can win up to $5 million through this game.
Cons of UK Online Slots
UK mobile slots have plenty of redeeming qualities. However, you should also take into account the following downsides to playing these games.
Slots Limited to UK Only
The big obstacle to playing UK online slots is if you don’t already live here. After all, you’re highly unlikely to travel to a different country just to play mobile slots.
Of course, you could feasibly do so if you live on the UK-facing border of a neighboring country. Even then, though, the UK is separated from its neighbors by water on all sides.
You’ll pretty much have to be on vacation or live here to play the online slots. Otherwise, you won’t have a chance at enjoying the games and jackpots in this country.
Bonus Buy Option Not Available
Bonus buy allows you to skip straight to the bonus without triggering it naturally. You’ll need to pay an amount that’s a multiple of your stake to use this option.
For example, you might spend 75x your stake to unlock the bonus. Afterward, 3+ scatter symbols will land on the reels. Many players enjoy using this feature when they want a shot at the biggest prizes in the bonus round.
However, UK regulators have banned slots from offering bonus buy. They feel that, by encouraging players to make huge bets to unlock bonuses, this option is too risky.
Credit Card Deposits Banned
Credit cards are definitely one of the most popular ways to deposit at mobile gaming sites. They allow for quick and easy transactions.
This, however, is another area where UK regulators have stepped in. They banned credit card payments in both land-based and online casinos in 2019.
You can, of course, use some of the other banking methods at UK online casinos. But you won’t have access to what’s perhaps the most popular deposit method.
Are UK Mobile Slots Worth Playing?
You can see that UK online slots aren’t entirely perfect. They come without the bonus buy option and are only available within the country’s borders.
Nevertheless, you might still find these games worth playing. The UK has an online gaming market that’s different from most countries regarding regulation, game options, and jackpots.
Remember:
The heavy regulation ensures that you can play online slots with fewer worries. You don’t have to worry about getting ripped off by operators or dealing with faulty games with no recourse. The UKGC has plenty of protections in place for players.
This market is so popular that many online casinos operate in it. As a result, you’ll have no shortage of online slots to choose from. You can look forward to games from many premium slots developers too.
As for the jackpots, several multimillion-dollar prizes exist in this market. You’ll experience no trouble finding a game that can pay big in the UK.
Conclusion
The UK online gaming market is the envy of many other licensing jurisdictions. It offers countless slots, many top-tier game developers, and strong regulations. Therefore, it draws plenty of slots providers and online casinos.
You can enjoy all of these perks if you’re ever in the UK. Here, you’ll be able to play the latest slots and chase huge jackpots—all while being protected by the UKGC’s regulations.
Of course, you should be aware of the potential downsides, such as the lack of buy bonus and credit card deposits. Provided you can get past these drawbacks, though, then you’ll definitely like playing UK mobile slots.
