The Best UKGC Casinos

Due to its worldwide reputation of trustworthiness, the UKGC licence is the holy grail for many operators and players. It is no surprise that there are loads of UKGC-regulated casinos out there, but which ones are the best for Canadian-based players?

Our top list above will help you out. All the casinos in there hold a UKGC licence, are available in Canada and are hand-picked from the list of top-performing online casinos on our site.

The regulations around gambling in Canada can be confusing as gambling restrictions are subject to territorial and provincial laws. Still, the answer to the question “Is it legal to gamble online in Canada?” is simple: Yes, as long as you play at an overseas online casino.

That is great news for gambling enthusiasts in Canada because there is no lack of offshore operators. However, if you want to be sure that your money is safe and your chances of winning are fair, you’ll need to look for an online casino that holds one or more valid and trusted gambling licences. A UKGC licence has you covered. It is one of the most reputable ones out there and its casinos are available to players across Canada.

It is worth pointing out that Ontario is Canada’s first province to fully embrace iGaming and is working hard to build an open and regulated online gambling market. As of April 4, 2022 Ontario allows gambling and betting operators to legally enter their market provided that they have completed AGCO’s registration process and have a signed operating agreement with “ iGaming Ontario.”

A gambling licence may not be the first thing you look at when registering at a new online casino in Canada. Most gamblers select an operator based on its availability in their market and reputation. While a good reputation is certainly an indicator of trust, a highly esteemed gambling licence, such as a UKGC licence, provides a genuine seal of player protection.

There are several ways to spot a UKGC-licensed casino. The easiest way is to look for its logo at the footer of the website. If you want to assure yourself that the licence is legitimate, you can follow our step-by-step guide below:

1. Search for the licence number or UKGC logo at the bottom of the website
2. Go to the UKGC public register by clicking on the logo
3. Copy-paste the licence registration or account number in the search box
4. Verify that the licence is active under the casino’s name or its parent company

Note that we will never recommend an online casino that hasn’t been thoroughly checked by our reviewing team. All the casinos that we review or recommend are operating with one or more valid gambling licences.

The main goal of the UKGC is to protect its players against the harmful effects of gambling. Its policy is built on the following 3 pillars:

• Keeping crime out of gambling;
• Ensuring that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, with the players’ best interest at heart;
• Protecting minors and other vulnerable persons from experiencing harm from gambling.

To meet these objectives, the UKGC keeps its gambling operators under close scrutiny. Failing to adhere to strict UKGC regulations can result in heavy fines and even licence removal. This has earned them the reputation of being one of the most reliable gambling licensing authorities across the world.

The UKGC also maintains a whitelist of approved gambling jurisdictions. Operators licensed in these jurisdictions can advertise and offer their services in the UK without needing an additional UKGC license. 

This whitelist exists to acknowledge that certain gambling regulators, such as the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission, adhere to standards and regulations that are deemed equivalent to the UKGC's.

So, how does the UKGC ensure safe and fair gambling? We will break it down for you below.

When you’re playing at a UKGC casino, your personal and financial data will be securely stored and not misused in any way. The Gambling Commission applies strict standards, which are in accordance with consumer protection laws and the data protection act, and demands that gambling operators are accountable for their use of personal data.

In addition, a UKGC casino must be able to prove that they have the systems in place to sufficiently protect its players against cyber attacks that can risk the exposure of player data. If a casino can’t prove that, they will not be granted a licence.

Another key criterion is that an operator must ensure a fair gaming experience for all its customers. Each player must have a realistic chance of winning. That means that all games must be tested for fairness and have legitimate Random Number Generators (RNGs) that generate truly random outcomes that can’t be controlled by the casino or the game provider.

The operator must be open and honest with regard to the player’s chances of winning. They must specify the Return To Player (RTP) percentage for every game they offer and provide transparent general and bonus terms and conditions.

To obtain a UKGC licence, a casino must be able to show a clear and transparent ownership structure and be financially viable—they must be able to pay out prizes.

UKGC-licensed gambling operators must select which rating applies to their handling of customer funds and be transparent about it in their terms and conditions. There are three levels of player funds protection:

Not protected - Player funds would be classed as part of the gambling company’s assets. If the operator went bust, you would probably lose any money in your account.

Medium protection - The operator must make arrangements to protect your money in case they go bust. For instance by having insurance. With this level of protection getting your money back if the business goes bust is not absolutely guaranteed.

High protection - Player’s funds must be stored separately from a casino’s business funds and be legally recognised as separate from the business. This is to ensure the highest level of protection. Which means it is the best chance of getting your money back if the business goes into administration or out of business.

A casino with a UKGC licence must verify the identity of its players. This is to prevent crime and underage gambling and is usually done as part of the registration process or when players make their first deposit.

To carry out this verification procedure, also known as the Know Your Customer (KYC), new players are required to send relevant documents, such as a scanned copy of their ID, passport or driver’s licence.

In addition, cash payouts can only be made to the registered account holder’s bank account. This way, the casino knows who they are paying out to. The chances of money laundering or underage gambling will be significantly reduced.

Online casinos market their games and bonuses through various media. This is not limited to promotional messages on their website, but can also include the sponsorship of sports teams, ads on social and other media, and TV ads.

To help protect vulnerable people and minors, the UKGC has set strict guidelines for operators to ensure socially responsible marketing. The list of regulations is long, but the essence is that their advertising:

• cannot be misleading – chances of winning should be represented realistically;
• must not appeal to minors – for instance through the use of animations, comic book figures or mascots that are popular among the underage population;
• should not promote or encourage irresponsible gambling behaviour that could lead to financial, social or emotional harm.

A full list of regulations can be found on the website of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/16.html

Note that even though these rules are primarily for the UK promotions, it makes sense to expect UKGC casinos to take a more conservative approach in other regions too, such as Canada.

In line with the customer-aware focus of the Gambling Commission, licensed online casinos must provide clear, concise and easy-to-understand bonus terms and conditions. They must also be reasonable: unlocking a bonus must be realistically achievable.

Some things to look out for when it comes to online casino bonuses:· 

• Operators should be clear and upfront about any bonus conditions;
• Players should be made aware when they are playing with their own money or bonus funds;
• Players must be able to keep what is left of their deposit or any winnings earned from playing with it;
• Any restrictions on how you can play with bonus funds, such as restrictions on the size of bets, should be clearly explained;
• If you’re lucky enough to win, operators cannot use your personal data for publicity without your consent.
  
  

A UKGC casino must provide sufficient measures for players to help protect themselves against problematic gambling and addiction. Education about the dangers of irresponsible gambling is key, including the provision of useful links and helplines. In addition, most UKGC operators provide any of the following tools that can help you take full control over your gaming sessions:

• Loss Limits
• Session Limits
• Wager Limits
• Deposit Limits
• Self-Exclusion

Although these tools may not always be available outside of the UK market, having a Responsible Gaming policy has become standard practice among reliable and licensed casino operators worldwide. Most UKGC casinos that are available in our country will offer similar or at least some of the self-limit and self-exclusion tools mentioned above plus relevant information and links to helpline organizations and even filtering tools.

All the above-mentioned criteria don’t mean much if the casinos are not held accountable for the implementation of these. That’s not something you have to worry about when playing at a UKGC-licensed casino. The Gambling Commission truly cares about your “gambling welfare” and casinos that don’t adhere to its strict regulations risk hefty fines and losing their licence.

Moreover, all UKGC-certified sites are obliged to answer and resolve all player complaints. If you still feel unhappy about the casino’s actions, you can file a complaint directly with the Gambling Commission. They will then investigate and try to bring the issue to a resolution.

A UKGC licence is not granted lightly. An operator must comply with many strict criteria and will be subjected to a thorough examination—a complex process that can take up to 16 weeks. Everything from its gambling activities to its ownership, finances and competence will be scrutinized.

To receive the licence, an operator must prove that they are capable of and fully committed to fair and safe gambling and the prevention of crime.

In addition, there are the costs of operating with a licence, such as the application fee, approval fee and annual operating fees, that the casino needs to consider.

There are 3 main types of licences that can be issued by the UKGC: a personal management licence, a personal function licence and an operating licence. The first two are for croupiers, cashiers, inspectors and gambling supervisors of land-based casinos and leaders of gaming businesses. The operating licence is the one you’ll need for a legal online gambling business, which can apply to either one or more of the following:

• Arcades
• Betting
• Bingo
• Casino
• Gambling Software
• Gaming Machines
• Lotteries

Once an operator has received the coveted licence, they will do everything they can not to lose it. To do this, they will have to adhere to the UKGC regulations in their day-to-day operations. Failing to do this will put them at risk of hefty fines and eventually, losing their licence.

One of the ways the UKGC keeps an eye on this is by requiring the operator to provide quarterly and yearly key reports that include:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Information on Security Breaches
• Protection of Customer Funds
• Regulatory Returns
• Changes in Corporate Control
• Anti-Money Laundering Activities
• Suspicious Betting Activities
• Annual Assurance Statements

Gambling has been one of the most popular leisure activities in Great Britain for centuries and its efforts to regulate it date back to the 14th century. Early “unlawful games acts” attempted to distinguish games of skill from games of chance and made the latter illegal.

Various amendments and other acts eventually led to the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act, which legalized betting shops and gaming houses, but with conditions. In 2005, the UKGC was established.

It aimed to provide a fair, transparent and responsible gaming industry with the customer’s interest at heart. This “customer-aware focus” was later adopted by many other regulatory bodies and helped shape the way gambling is regulated today.

Its strict regulations, hefty fines, and focus on responsible gaming make it a gambling authority that is trusted by many players and governments around the world.

The UKGC is one of the leading gambling licences out there, but there are other equally trusted authorities to look out for.

Check out our detailed reviews below.