The UK has long been the prime example of gambling regulation done right. Thanks to government bodies like the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, all gaming venues, both land-based and online, have to guarantee safety and fairness to players if they wish to operate.
While this provides players with an extensive selection of regulated gambling sites, you’ll still have to sift through hundreds of websites. Here, we pinned down and reviewed the best poker sites in the UK to help narrow your search results to those with the best offers.
- 888 Poker - Play With £20 Free
- Unibet - Deposit and Get £20 Extra £500 Bonus
- William Hill Poker - Deposit & Get £100 Bonus
- Paddy Power Poker - Bet £20 Get £50 In Bonuses
- Betfair - Get 200% Up To €1000
- Bet365 - €365 Bonus For New Players
- Party Poker - Get £40 Free Play Offer
- SportsBetting.ag - Bonus 100% Up To $1,000
- TigerGaming - Get 100% Up To $1000
Online Poker Sites in the UK - Review Roundup
Only for new UK players. First deposit only. £20 free bonus will be rewarded in Tournament Tickets continuously for 7 days after claiming: Full Terms and Conditions apply. Every Tournament Ticket expires 24 hours after granting. Additional 100% bonus up to £300 with WELCOME100 code: Full Terms and Conditions apply.
Pros and Cons:
+ Wide selection of games
+ No deposit bonus
+ Reputable operator
- No live chat
We’re kicking off with one of the oldest poker websites in the UK. 888 Poker was launched in 1997 and has since accrued over 20 million players. The site is operated by 888 UK Limited, a company that holds both a UKGC gambling license, as well as one issued by the Malta Gaming Authority.
The array of games available at 888 Poker make it a great choice for beginners. Aside from Texas hold ‘em, you can play 7-card stud and Omaha Hi/Lo. Additionally, the site features some unique poker games like Snap, a fast-fold poker table.
888 Poker offers two exclusive bonuses. First, newcomers can redeem a £20 no deposit bonus just by registering. The no deposit bonus is granted in the form of tournament tickets - 50 tickets of $0.1buy-in and 20 tickets of $1buy-in.
Like with other premier poker sites for UK players, the first deposit bonus here is equally generous. The online casino poker welcome promotion offers a100% match on your initial deposit, up to $400. There is no wagering requirement, but you get access to bonus funds as you accrue bonus points.
The main downside to 888 Poker is the lack of live chat support, which can be extremely frustrating. The only way to contact support is via email. Alternatively, you can find the answer yourself in their online knowledge base.
For new 18+ users only. £10 minimum deposit amount. Money will be returned as a bonus for a first losing bet. Sportsbook betting requirements: 3x at minimum odds of 1.40 (2/5). Casino wagering requirements: 35x. The sportsbook bonus must be used before the casino bonus, if not forfeited. The bonus will expire 7 days after joining. Deposits not necessary for NI players. To claim, call 08081699314. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Begambleaware.org.
Pros and cons:
+ High stake tournaments
+ £20 welcome bonus
+ 6% rake
- No tournaments on Android app
This is another venue ranked highly by players, but it lacks a no deposit bonus. On the other hand, just like 888 Poker, Unibet has been around for years, gaining quite a following among British players.
This online poker UK site is, of course, licensed and regulated by the UKGC. The operator behind the site, Platinum Gaming Limited, also has a gambling license from the government of Gibraltar.
When it comes to games, Unibet offers UK poker rooms with Texas hold ‘em, Omaha, and Banzai - a shallow stack variant of Texas hold ‘em. Similarly to most of the best real money poker sites in the UK, Unibet also regularly holds high-stake poker tournaments like Satellites, Pot Limit Omaha Tournament, and Sit & Go.
Unibet’s welcome offer rewards you £20 extra to play with and a £500 play-through bonus. As usual, these funds are rewarded in the form of tournament tickets. The rake on Unibet is pretty low, sitting at 6%, with a €3 cap per pot. There’s also a very generous VIP program in place that rewards progressive rakeback to loyal players.
During our UK poker review, we were impressed by the speed of transactions at Unibet, both for withdrawals and deposits. You can use debit cards, as well as through a plethora of e-wallets. The minimum deposit amount is £10.
The bonus is usable only once by new customers and requires a minimum first deposit of £10. Terms and Conditions and game restrictions apply. Twister Discovery Pack: 1 Tournament Ticket worth €6, 3x €1 Age of the Gods Twister + 3X €1 Twister. Collect WH Points to earn £100 in bonus money which expires in 45 days. Bonus Spins require x40 wagering and expire in 14 days, maximum return £20. Terms and Conditions Apply.
Pros and cons:
+ One of the oldest poker sites
+ Plethora of poker games
+ Unique welcome bonus
- Bonuses could be bigger
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more recognizable UK gambling brand than William Hill. With roots dating back to the 19th century, William Hill is one of the pillars of the old guard.
The online casino poker site is a member of the extremely popular iPoker network, which practically serves as a guarantee of quality. Also, the site holds gambling licenses from both the UKGC and its Gibraltar counterpart, meaning you can rest assured that your money and data are safe here.
As one of the biggest poker sites around, William Hill Poker has a huge variety of poker rooms, including Texas hold ‘em, Six-plus hold ‘em, Omaha Hi/Lo, and 7-card stud. The number of available tournaments is equally impressive, with nearly 15 of them being held on a regular basis.
William Hill Poker’s welcome promotion is both generous and unique. You only need to place a £10 deposit in order to be treated to £100 in rewards. These rewards include a combination of various tournament tickets, as well as some free casino spins thrown in for good measure. The rake here is 5%, which is pretty standard for UK poker sites. If you choose to stick around, you’ll get a chance to opt-in to the site’s loyalty program and earn progressive rakeback.
We were also impressed by William Hill’s customer service, which is available across all channels: email, live chat, phone, and thorough a contact form.
For newly registered players from Ireland and the UK. If you bet £20. you receive £50 worth of bonuses over the next 5 days. Paddy Power’s Standard Promotional Terms apply.
Pros and cons:
+ €4 rake cap
+ Member of iPoker network
+ No transaction fees
- Limited PayPal use
If it isn’t already obvious from the name, Paddy Power is one of Ireland’s online poker sites and a leading brand in the global gambling market. The site is incredibly popular throughout the UK due to its great bonuses and top-notch marketing.
The operator running the site is PPB Counterparty Services Limited, which holds gambling licenses from the UKGC and the Malta Gaming Authority. Just like William Hill, Paddy Power is a member of the iPoker network, meaning there’s always going to be a significant amount of people to play with.
It comes as no surprise that established platforms such as Paddy Power, offer a vast selection of games. These include Omaha, limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha, Omaha hi-lo, Texas hold ‘em pot limit/no limit, Texas hold ‘em head-to-head, 7-card stud, 7-card stud hi-lo, and 5-card stud, as well as a few unique proprietary games.
The welcome offer at Paddy Power is similar to those at other UK online poker sites. Once you play £20 worth of tournaments, you’ll receive a £40 tournament ticket bonus, as well as a free entry into a £1,000 freeroll tournament. The rake cap is €4 - standard for online poker sites.
Paddy Power supports the usual string of transaction options, with the minimum deposit being only £5. On top of that, the site doesn’t charge you any transaction fees.
Intended only for new customers. The minimum deposit amount is £10, while the maximum first deposit bonus reaches £1200. Full Terms and Conditions apply.
Pros and Cons:
+ Two gambling licenses
+ Huge number of tournaments
+ Unique in-house games
- Dated visuals
Before entering the poker market, Betfair built a name for itself as one of the most popular sportsbooks around. Its foray into poker was more than successful, making it an even more established platform in the process.
Like most respectable platforms, Betfair holds two gambling licenses - one from the Malta Gaming Authority and the other from the UKGC.
Betfair’s site isn’t exactly pretty, but it gets the job done. The overall design looks dated, and the interface is somewhat cluttered. On the other hand, the sheer amount of information on the homepage means you can find everything you need without having to access other pages. The downloadable poker app is definitely a superb option, and most players should stick to it when possible.
The available games include Texas hold ‘em, Omaha, Omaha high/low, as well as a unique in-house game called Speed Poker. Betfair wouldn’t be on our list if it didn’t have a large number of tournaments available as well. There are Sit & Go and MTT tournaments, as well as Multi-table ones, among others.
The welcome bonus at Betfair is two-fold. First, it matches your initial deposit by 200%, up to €200. Second, you receive €500 in Sunday freeroll tickets. The minimum deposit required for this bonus is €10.
In case you face any issues when you play poker online at Betfair, you can contact their support team via email, live chat, phone, or social media.
Players who create an account receive a Welcome Package after logging in. The bonus of €365 is claimed in installments depending on the Status Points collected. Tickets and prize spins expire after 7 days. Exceptions and Terms and Conditions apply.
Pros and Cons:
+ Generous welcome bonus
+ Great desktop app
+ Superb visuals
- Occasional lack of poker players
Bet365 is not just one of the biggest sites on the UK scene, but is also an international powerhouse. While it initially stuck to sports betting, Bet365 recently expanded its offer to include poker games.
As you would expect, Bet365 is fully licensed by the UKGC to run both sports betting and poker gambling operations. The site has more than 22 million active players, so you’re at no risk of running out of people to play with.
Poker can be played either through Bet365’s website or via the downloadable mobile and desktop apps. Bet365 puts most poker sites to shame with its modern-looking interface and superb optimization. The downloadable client is equally well-designed and is widely considered to be a standard by which other poker apps are judged on.
Newcomers are treated to a €365 bonus, which is rewarded in smaller installments as you earn Status Points by playing. Additionally, you get access to a welcome prize wheel spin through which you can earn valuable rewards. There is also a €1 Twister ticket thrown in as a threat.
Customer support is top-notch at Bet365. They’re quick, knowledgeable, and polite - you can reach them via live chat, email, and phone.
Offered only to new UK players. Players are required to deposit a minimum of £10 into their account. Terms and Conditions apply.
Pros and Cons:
+ $2 rake cap
+ Tournament variety
+ Instant Play
- Slow customer support
If you’re on the lookout for places to play poker online in the UK and would like to find a site with some star power, look no further than partypoker. This venue was famously promoted by Mike Sexton, the host of the World Poker Tour.
The site is owned and operated by ElectraWorks, a company with multiple successful gambling sites under its belt. They are fully licensed and regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
When it comes to poker game diversity, partypoker does not disappoint. Some of the games you can play are Texas hold ‘em, pot-limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 7-card stud, which should be enough to satisfy even the most demanding players. As for tournaments, there are plenty of choices, including Multi-Table Tournaments, Sit & Go tournaments, Shoutouts, and Bounty.
Another reason why many people find partypoker to be their preferred site of choice is the welcome bonus. The new player promotion matches your deposit by 100%, up to £400 and gives you six days of free tournament tickets worth £40.
The incredibly low rake is capped at only $2, which is only surpassed on high-stakes games.
Offer redeemable for new players over 18 years of age. Two welcome bonuses are available to choose from after depositing $20. Terms and Conditions apply.
Pros and Cons
+ Two welcome bonus options
+ Quick withdrawals
+ Daily tournaments
- Only email support
Launched in 2017, GGPoker grew to become one of the most popular British poker sites currently on the market. The site is completely dedicated to providing only poker games and does a pretty good job at it.
Like all good poker sites, GGPoker is licensed and regulated by the UKGC. The site’s operator, NSUS Limited, is based in Ireland.
GGPoker’s web design is fairly simple, but it does not impede players in any way and is generally pleasant to use. You can play poker instantly on the site or download the dedicated client or mobile apps.
The available poker games on the site include Texas hold ‘em and Omaha variants, as well as lesser-known games like Rush & Cash, All in or Out, and 6+ short deck. Furthermore, there’s a plethora of side games to enjoy and a multitude of tournaments to take part in.
This best UK poker site lets you choose between two welcome bonuses. You can either get $100 in tournament tickets with an opportunity to win even more if you meet certain requirements. Alternatively, you can get a matched deposit bonus of 100%, up to $600. The matched deposit funds are unlocked in $1 increments for every $5 spent in rake and tournament fees. The rake percentages go between 3.25% and 6%.
Unfortunately, GGPoker only has email support. If you’d like to talk to an agent directly, the only place to do so is via their Facebook page.
New and 18+ players only. Sign up bonus 50% up to $1,000 on first deposit only. Full terms and conditions apply. 100% 1st-time crypto bonus and 5% Bitcoin boost. Min deposit of $25.00 is required to qualify for the bonuses.
Pros and Cons:
+ Visually appealing
+ Freeroll tournaments
+ Superb client
- No PayPal support
Sportsbetting.ag had some dark chapters in its storied history but has managed to clean up its reputation and is now considered to be one of the more respectable platforms for freerolls in the UK. Besides offering poker online games, Sportsbetting.ag, as the name implies, also features a great sportsbook.
The site is very modern-looking with a sleek interface. It’s pretty well optimized as well, so you shouldn’t have any speed problems even on slower connections. You can choose between Instant Play, which means playing poker from the site directly, or you can download the client to your device.
Sportsbetting.ag offers multiple variants of popular poker games like Texas hold ‘em, Omaha, and Stud poker. When it comes to tournaments, there are a few options to choose from at any given time, including the $150k guaranteed prize pool tournament and the $1 million Windfall Jackpot Sit & Go.
What makes this possibly one of the best choices for beginners is the extremely generous welcome promotion. New players will get their initial deposit matched by 100%, up to $1,000. The bonus funds are released in $5 increments for every $50 earned in rake. However, the minimum deposit for this bonus is pretty high - $50.
We were happy to see that Sportsbetting.ag offers multi-channel customer support, available through phone, email, and live chat. Their agents are quick to respond and knowledgeable and can help with any issues that arise.
100% first deposit bonus up to $1,000. Min deposit of $50. New and 18+ players only. Full T&C apply. 40x wagering requirements. 5% Bitcoin boost. 100% welcome poker bonus.
Pros and Cons:
+ 20 years of experience
+ Quick withdrawals
+ Competitive rake
- $50 minimum deposit for the welcome bonus
The last entry on our list is TigerGaming. The people behind TigerGaming have over 20 years of experience, having launched their site back in 1999. The site’s operator is Thot Management NV, a company headquartered in Curacao.
Unfortunately, the site does look like it crawled out of the early 2000s and surely won’t win any beauty awards. However, it’s far from being an inconvenience, and thanks to simple black and orange colouring, it’s still enjoyable to use.
The extensive poker game selection includes Americana, 32-card draw, seven-card stud, razz, and, of course, Texas hold ‘em. There’s a huge number of tournaments going on throughout the year, so there’s always a chance to score some big wins.
The welcome promotion here does not differ from what we’ve seen at most online poker sites. Your initial poker deposit will be matched by 100%, up to $1,000. Make sure to use the code NEWTG to make use of this bonus. The minimum deposit is $50. Bonus funds are released to you in $5 portions for every $50 earned in rake.
TigerGaming is one of the few sites for poker in the United Kingdom that accepts both fiat and cryptocurrencies. Besides crypto deposits, you can use debit cards and e-wallets for transactions, with decent transaction speeds.
Guide for Finding Online Poker Sites in the UK
Poker players are well aware of how difficult it can be to differentiate between various poker sites. Not only are there so many of them, but they often have extremely similar offers. While you might be inclined to look at bonuses and promotions first, these can be misleading and hide more than they show.
To assist you in finding the right UK poker site, we’ve prepared a short and easy-to-use guide. The criteria below will help you navigate through the world of online poker sites.
- Regulation: In order for their gambling operations to be legal, all poker sites in the UK need to have a license issued by the UKGC. As such, not only is it illegal to play on sites that lack the license in question, but you’ll also have no guarantees that the operators adhere to security and fairness regulations.
- Bonuses: One of the most common methods for identifying good online poker offers is by comparing their bonuses. While this is a valid point of comparison, it shouldn’t be the only one. Furthermore, when looking at bonuses offered on UK poker sites, make sure to check out the fine print - minimum deposit and wagering requirements, time constraints, and so forth.
- Poker game selection: It’s safe to assume that pretty much all poker sites will offer Texas hold ‘em rooms. However, the other games supported by individual sites can differ significantly. As such, you should keep an eye on what poker games are available before committing to a particular website.
- Banking options: Poker sites for UK players should also let you deposit and withdraw funds through a variety of methods. While most British players will naturally want to play with pound sterling, support for other currencies, including crypto, should be available.
- Customer support: Lastly, easily accessible and professional customer support is pretty much a must in order for UK online poker websites to fall into the top-tier category. First, support agents should be available across multiple channels, including live chat and phone. Ideally, you should also have 24/7 access to support agents on at least one channel.
FAQ
Is it legal to play poker online for money?
Yes, if you play at licensed websites and you’re over 18.
Is poker a skill or luck?
While there’s luck involved, poker is more of a skill game in the long run. Sure, a bad hand might ruin a round or two, but it's your decisions that generally determine your win rate.
Are online poker sites rigged?
Not legitimate sites. All of the best poker sites in the UK we reviewed here are licensed by the UKGC, which verifies that the sites are safe and fair.
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