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Top poker sites for UK players 2024
The United Kingdom (UK) is one of the countries with the most gambling tradition in the world; it is expected to find friendly poker games in the countless pubs of cities like London, while online poker is legal and regulated by the authorities. This article explores the best online sites to play in the UK.
Best online poker sites for UK players
Below, we list the sites that, in our opinion, are the best online poker rooms to play from the United Kingdom:
| Poker room | Welcome bonus | Games |
|---|---|---|
| GGPoker UK | 100% up to $600 or £60 free in rewards | NLH, PLO, PLO5, MTT, Spin&Go, Mystery Bounty, All-in or Fold |
| PokerStars UK | 100% up to £400 | NLH, PLO, MTT, Spin&Go, SnG |
| 888Poker | 100% up to $1,000 | NLH, PLO, MTT, Spin&Go, Mystery Bounty, MTT |
| PokerKing | 100% up to $2,000 | NLH, PLO, Hi/Lo, Spin&Go, SnG, MTT |
| CoinPoker | 100% up to ₮1,100 | NLH, PLO, PLO5, Spin&Go, MTT |
How we rank the best UK online poker sites
When it comes to regulated markets, the struggle to become "the best poker site" is difficult because they have usually all already passed the filters established by the authorities. However, at Worldpokerdeals, we study the whole spectrum so that our players can choose to play with safety, good promotions, and enough traffic:
- License: Ideally, we recommend poker rooms licensed by the UKGC, Isle of Man, Malta, etc.
- Background: In addition to the license, we also consider the trajectory of the room of utmost importance; some of the offshore sites included in our list have more than 20 years of experience on the market.
- Security: Poker rooms with a clean past without non-payment disputes, direct communication with the public, state-of-the-art software, encrypted communications, recognized payment methods
- Cashier: We prefer a mixture of modernity (cryptocurrencies) with classic methods (Skrill, Neteller, PayPal).
- Traffic: Sites with 24/7 traffic or with a strong focus on European time.
Considering that the UK is an ideal country to play online poker, we only include the best and most reliable sites in our list.
GGPoker UK
GGPoker operates in the United Kingdom with a license from the UKGC (issued to NSUS Limited, account number 47768, license 047768-R-326808-009), then it is 100% legal in British territory.
Considered the world's largest poker site, it has unrivaled traffic 24 hours a day at cash games, tournaments, Spins, exclusive formats, and Online WSOP circuits. The rakeback for English players can be up to 60%.
Perhaps the most recognized British GGPoker ambassador is Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 driver, accompanied by Jimmy Carr in the friends of GG team.
PokerKing
The first international room on our list. Although PokerKing does not accept US players directly, Winning Poker network partner rooms do, which makes it an excellent option for British grinders who want to face Americans at the tables.
PokerKing is not licensed by the UKGC, although it has more than 20 years of experience on the market, making it a very reliable site to play NLH, PLO (including Hi/Lo and 9-max tables), millionaire tournaments (The Venom), SnG, Spin&Go, among others.
CoinPoker
CoinPoker became the largest cryptocurrency poker room on the market after hosting high-stakes games with ambassadors such as Tony G. All deposits, withdrawals, and games are carried out in cryptocurrencies such as USDT or BTC.
The room accepts players from any country, including the United Kingdom, and has worked hard to establish itself as a safe option for those who prefer to use cryptocurrencies as an investment and as currency at the tables.
PokerStars UK
PokerStars has been operating in the UK since 2015 with the license 039108-R-319334-024 issued by the UKGC Gambling Commission, so it is also an excellent option to play legal online poker in the UK. Ben Spragg, better known as "Spraggy," and Sam Grafton are the main references of the red pike room in the UK.
Although GGPoker has overtaken it as the largest site in the world, it is still an excellent option to play cash games, tournaments, Spins, or exclusive formats 24 hours a day.
888Poker
888Poker is headquartered in Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, which is why its ties with the crown date back to its creation. In recent years, the 888 traffic has fallen, but it remains the preferred room for beginners, so the British will find entertaining games in all formats.
The welcome bonus of 100% up to $1,000 is attractive enough to give a try to this room that is backed by a gambling giant - 888Holdings.
Online poker in the UK
The United Kingdom has been considered a paradise to play poker for many years, thanks to its kind regulation and tax status. This situation has changed a little in recent years as the law has tightened the screws on possible gambling addictions and money laundering, adding restrictions on deposits and withdrawals that help the established objective, but affect grinders which have different bankroll management.
Some important considerations:
- The games are usually played in dollars or euros (depending on the room) and not in British pounds, although you can deposit using local currency, and the software will make an automatic conversion without commission.
- Open liquidity allows you to access the so-called ".COM pool" and share tables with players from different countries.
- In legal online poker sites, you should make sure to download the software designed especially for the UK, usually identified with the Union Jack flag.
In general, locals and visitors from the United Kingdom can legally play on many poker sites, taking advantage of promotions such as rakeback, welcome bonuses, and rake races, among others.
Where can I start playing online poker for real money in the United Kingdom?
You can play for real money from the United Kingdom in any poker room mentioned in this article. Our selection includes the best sites with promotions for all tastes, from casual to professional players.
For beginners, we recommend checking out GGPoker, PokerStars, or 888Poker, which have bonuses and platforms designed for newcomers to the poker world, giving free entries to tournaments and other unique benefits.
Legal background of online poker in the United Kingdom
The UK has a long history of being gambling friendly, always from the legal:
- In 1960, the Betting and Gaming Act was enacted, allowing the creation of bookmakers and legalizing different types of games.
- In 1968, the Gaming Act was extended to commercial casinos.
- In 2005, the Gaming Act legalized online poker, creating the Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Online poker is 100% legal in the UK. The cherry on the cake is that there is no particular tax in the UK; players do not have to pay the government additional fees apart from the tax applied to all citizens, which is reasonable compared to other European or American countries.
In recent years, the law has established limits on monetary transactions, so many players have been forced to verify the origin of their income.
Some points considered illegal when it comes to online poker in the UK:
- Playing as a minor (under 18 years of age).
- Making any kind of cheating at the tables (e.g., collusion).
- Use of prohibited software.
- Using fake documents to verify your identity.
- The funds used to play must be your own.
There are not many poker prohibitions in the UK, and they mainly correspond to measures to ensure the integrity of the games.
Regulation of online poker sites in the UK
Although players can join the global pool, the British regulation imposes some restrictions that the rooms licensed by the UKGC must comply with:
- Verify your income with documents to increase the deposit and monthly loss limits.
- Credit cards cannot be used.
- Player-to-player transfers are not allowed.
- Withdrawals cannot be canceled once requested.
Real money online poker laws
The Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the regulatory body responsible for monitoring compliance with the laws for playing poker for real money, both online and live.
In the online world, our game is 100% legal as established by the Gambling Act 2005, and rooms wishing to offer their services on British territory must apply for a license.
Poker is regulated in all areas, in casinos, clubs, bars, private and non-commercial games. Each branch has different rules, although the main conclusion is that it is allowed to deposit, withdraw, and play all over the country.
Poker-related taxes
The UK has the dream law: the tax for poker players is 0%. This applies to online and live games, even abroad (some WSOP Main Event finalists have collected millionaire prizes with 0% tax).
The UK decided to take the path of charging taxes to operators (at a rate of 15%), which in one way or another pass these costs on to users, although usually, this does not affect poker players but casino bettors.
However, other taxes may apply as a UK resident, so we recommend hiring a local accountant if you decide to take up poker as a profession.
Deposit and withdrawal methods for UK poker players
Britons have a wide range of possibilities to deposit and withdraw money from online poker rooms:
- Skrill
- Neteller
Luxon - Cards (Visa, MasterCard)
- Cryptocurrencies (BTC, USDT, ETH, LTC, among others)
- PayPal
- Bank transfers
Keep in mind that the payment methods depend on the chosen site. Similarly, the maximum and minimum amounts are regulated by law, so if you need to deposit more money to play (a typical need for poker players with large bankrolls), you must verify your account and income with documents.
Live poker in the UK
Live poker is viral in the UK. As we have already mentioned, it is expected to see tables where Sit&Go games are played between friends in London pubs. There are local series, such as the APAT (Amateur Poker Association and Tour) and Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, which usually partners with online rooms such as GGPoker to organize satellites that are becoming increasingly famous.
London has hosted the best players in the world in series such as the Triton Super High Roller and official stops of the WSOP Circuit, while Nottingham is home to perhaps the most popular casino and poker room in the whole of the United Kingdom: Dusk Till Dawn, owned by Rob Yong.
Best UK poker players
The United Kingdom has more than 60 WSOP bracelets (59 for England, 4 for Wales, and 1 for Scotland). Benny Glazer has 5, and big-name players like Chris Moorman, Stephen Chidwick, Patrick Leonard, and Luke Schwartz belong to the champion list.
Stephen Chidwick is in the fourth position of players who have won the most money in history, breaking the barrier of 50 million dollars; he has titles of the European Poker Tour (EPT), PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), Aussie Millions, WSOP, Triton Poker Series, PokerGO Tour, WPT, among others. Sam Trickett and Ben Heath are also in the TOP 50 of this list.
Chris Moorman ranks as the British player who has earned the most money in Internet poker with almost $25 million in winnings, closely followed by Patrick Leonard. In the ranking of women with the most earnings, we find Liv Boeree (EPT champion, WSOP) and Victoria Conen Mitchell (EPT champion).
The UK also became home to many poker expats like Adrian Mateos (a Spaniard with almost $40 million in winnings), thanks to the tax policy and the quality of life of cities like London.
Responsible gambling
Gambling addiction is one of the biggest concerns of the British authorities, which is why the Gambling Commission has deployed several strategies to help gamblers who have problems, supported by foundations such as GamCare. Some of the recommendations include:
- Block gambling sites, promotional messages, payment methods.
- Self-exclusion of game accounts for a certain period.
- Money management, including assistance for people who have acquired gambling debts.
- Control of the time spent at the gaming tables.
We recommend all our players play in moderation and train themselves to identify the signs of a potential gambling addiction, which include compulsive gambling, feeling the need to gamble more and more, restlessness when not playing, trying to recover lost money at the tables, etc.
If you are in the UK, you can ask for help at:
- Call, 24 hours a day: 08088020133
- WhatsApp line: 4402030318881
- GamCare's live chat
In the same way, the MyGamCare platform allows you to create a personalized space in which you can monitor your personal needs regarding the game.
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