Online Gambling Regulators in the EU

After reading the previous section, you should have a good idea about how European online casinos are regulated in Europe, and the general legal situations in each country. The actual regulating, however, is done by bodies specifically set up for this purpose. Let’s look at some of the most important bodies concerning casinos in the EU.

United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)

The UKGC was founded in 2007 to follow up on the aforementioned Remote Gambling Act. It has over 350 employees and falls under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. It is responsible for all forms of online and land-based UK gambling but has no direct power over EU casinos that accept UK players.

Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)

Founded in 2001, the MGA is one of the world’s most-known regulatory bodies for gambling. That’s because it’s the first port of call for many casinos in the EU and further afield who are looking to expand their business internationally.

Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA)

While the GRA still exists, it no longer regulates gambling in Gibraltar. Instead, this now falls under the Gambling Division of the Government of Gibraltar, which operates independently despite being a British Overseas Territory.

Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC)

Alderney is a British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands. Unlike Gibraltar, however, it regulates gambling independently. The responsibility lies with the AGCC, launched in 2000, which is in charge of all online gambling.

Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden)

The Danish Gambling Authority is part of the Danish Ministry of Taxation. It was formed in 2000 and regulates all online and land-based gambling. The current regulations are based on the 2012 Act on Gambling.

Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen)

The Swedish Gambling Authority is based in the small town of Strängnäs. Like its Danish counterpart, it’s responsible for all online and land-based gambling. The most recent legislation is the 1999 Casino Act.

Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority

The Norwegian Gaming Authority was created in 2001, and the Foundation Authority launched in 2005. The two now operate together and control not only all state-operated gambling but also all other gambling-related activities.

Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling

As noted, the responsibility for regulating gambling in Spain depends on the specific kind of gambling. The overall authority, however, is the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ). Most importantly, perhaps, this body awards licenses to gambling operators in the country.

How We Rate the Best Online EU Casinos

We didn’t randomly assemble our list of the best EU online casinos. Our reviews and rankings were carried out according to a defined set of criteria. Below, you can read about some of the most important examples.

Safety & Security

This is the most important thing we look at for all the European online casinos that we consider. When we arrive at a new online casino, we immediately research its security measures, which should include SSL and 2FA at a minimum. We also check if they have third-party security certificates in place and look at their wider reputation among both regular users and critics.

License & Regulation

This is another crucial component when evaluating whether European online casinos are trustworthy. We check that at least one regulatory body has licensed any new online casinos to verify the brand’s security and fairness. Ideally, this will be with one of the EU authorities listed above, but licenses from places like Curacao are also respected in the industry.

Payment Methods

The more payment methods an online casino provides, the better. Cryptocurrencies are the most anonymous option and are arguably the fastest and safest to use. Preferably, though, at least one or two more traditional options will be provided. Either way, we like to see minimal to zero transaction fees charged and payouts processed as quickly as possible.

Selection of Games

This is another case of ‘the more, the merrier.’ A greater number of games reduces the chances of you getting bored and keeps things fun. Slots, table games, and live dealer games are’ must-haves.’ We also give bonus points to brands providing poker, whether it’s with a live dealer, other players, or against the computer.

Anonymous, VPN-friendly Gambling

Modern-day bettors understandably want to protect their personal data, which can often involve simply providing as little as possible. We’ve therefore valued sites that ask for fewer details, allowing you to retain greater anonymity. Accepting cryptocurrency payments obviously helps here, too, and we’ve also given preference to platforms that don’t penalize you for further securing your anonymity by using a VPN.

Bonuses & Promos

High-quality special offers can significantly impact your fortunes at the best EU online casinos. We look at two main factors here. Firstly, there’s the overall size of the bonus. After that, though, we also consider the T&Cs to gauge whether or not the deals actually give you good value or not.

User-Friendliness

A few things go into a casino being ‘user-friendly.’ Stability is a major factor, so we look for pages and games that load smoothly and sites that keep crashes to a minimum. The layout is also extremely important, with navigation ideally requiring as few clicks as possible. Finally, it’s crucial nowadays that the mobile version of the main platform is skilfully adapted for smaller screen sizes.

Customer Support

24/7 customer support has essentially become the norm in recent years, so that’s what we look for among our top 10 online casinos in the EU. This should include at least one direct contact method, preferably live chat, with email being an additional option. We also prefer casinos that provide indirect support, whether that be an informative Help Centre or a well-stocked FAQ.

Mobile Gaming

High-quality mobile features are non-negotiable. That can mean a downloadable mobile app or a desktop site’s mobile version. Either way, the platform should work well on both iOS and Android devices while providing all the same key features as the main version.

How to Register at European Online Casinos

We’re pleased to say that signing up with the top online casinos in the EU is a quick and painless process. Here are the few steps you must take to get started.

Step 1 – Choose a Brand

Your first task is to choose between the many EU casinos for UK players. In this guide, we’ll assume you’ve gone with our top choice, Coin Poker.

Step 2 – Create Your Account

Click the Registration/Sign Up button to complete the registration process. This simply involves providing some information and setting your login details.

Step 3 – Make a Deposit

Download the Coin Poker app, log in, then click your account balance in the top right. Now, choose a coin and make a deposit using your crypto wallet.

Step 4 – Start Playing

You can now navigate back to the main page, where you’ll see all the live tables. Just click Let’s Play next to one of those to start competing.

Types of Games on Offer at Online Casinos in the EU

You’ll find various games on all the top online casinos in the EU. The sheer number will often reach into the thousands. These will usually be spread across a few major categories, the biggest of which we’ve outlined below.

Online Slots and Progressive Jackpots

Slots make up most of the gaming selection on most online casinos in Europe, with many sites providing thousands of options. These feature various themes, RTPs, and special features. Some are regular slots with fixed winnings, while others are progressive jackpots whose prize pools grow as people play on them.

Live Dealer Games

All of our recommended brands double up as live casinos in the EU, providing games by specialist developers like Evolution Gaming. These titles are as close as you can get to the real-world gaming experience while retaining the comfort of online gambling. You’ll find roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and more run by highly-trained human dealers.

Classic Table Games

These don’t feature the interactivity you’ll find on live casinos in the EU. Since they’re run entirely by the computer, however, they’re faster to play. The old casino classics, such as roulette and blackjack, are easy to find. The results on the best online casinos in Europe are also provably fair, so you don’t need to worry about what’s happening behind the scenes.

Video Poker

Video poker naturally lacks the competitiveness and interaction of the player-vs-player variety. It’s much quicker to get through your hands here since you’re not waiting on a human dealer or any other people. It’s also very easy to find versions of the most popular variants, most notably Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

Online Sports Betting in EU Bookmakers & Casinos

Sports betting is enormously popular in Europe, both in-person and online. Fortunately, most of the best casinos in the EU will double up as sportsbooks.

In addition to all their thousands of online casino games, these sites typically provide at least a few dozen sports to bet on. Football has the most individual markets by far, but tennis, golf, and eSports also enjoy excellent coverage. Better yet, you can use exactly the same account balance as you do for your casino gaming.

Reliable, Secure Online EU Casino Payment Methods

Many of the best casinos in the EU will give you a distinct choice in how you fund your account. At a basic level, you can go for a more traditional method or a newer one. Let’s look at some of the main examples in each case.

Now that we’ve got an overview let’s see how some of the main European betting nations stack up regarding each payment method. The cryptocurrencies row specifically relates to whether or not they’re regulated in each country.

Obviously, it’s subjective as to what is the ‘best’ payment method among European online casino sites that accept UK players. That said, cryptocurrencies have a very strong case. Compared to the other options, they provide more anonymity and faster payouts. The transaction limits also tend to be higher, and special offers based around cryptos are often far bigger than those for fiat currencies.

Play on Mobile Casinos in Europe

The rise of mobile technology means that you can now enjoy all the top EU online casinos where you want when you want. Ideally, this will come via a downloadable mobile app since these tend to feature the best performance levels. However, there’s little drop-off if you’re simply playing through your browser, and this is the slightly more convenient option.

Whichever route you take, you’ll find all the same games, special offers, and account management tools in place. Some brands even provide mobile-only promos. For our money, the best mobile app right now is Coin Poker’s, available on iOS and Android.

Claim Lucrative European Online Casino Bonuses

Special offers won’t automatically guarantee success, even on the best European online casinos accepting UK online casino players. That said, when the promos are high quality and you use them correctly, they can certainly improve your chances.

These are the most common bonus types you’ll find among the top casinos in the EU.

Pros and Cons of Playing at European Casinos Online

We’re not trying to simply persuade you to use European casinos for UK players. Instead, we want to present a balanced picture and let you decide for yourself. To that end, here are both the pros and cons of doing so.