Finding the best online casinos that offer real money games is a really valuable use of your time as a gambler. Why? Because it helps you decide where to wager your cash. 

There are lots of things to consider with real money casinos, including: 

• Payout speed 

• Win rate (RTP) 

• Welcome bonus 

• Free spins 

• Games 

We’ve covered all those things and more, giving you all the information you need to decide which is the right real money casino for you to bet on your favourite games. 

How we review casinos for real money online gaming

Our review process is very thorough. As avid online gaming fans with a history of playing on online gambling sites of all kinds, we strive to offer our readers the best advice for playing on online casinos with real money. 

When reviewing a website, we take into account the usual factors of online security, game selection, and professionalism in customer service. However, with online casino real money games we analyse some other core elements including win rate, payout speed, free spins, and welcome bonuses.

You can trust reviews from OnlineCasino.co.uk. Games are play-tested by online gambling experts with years of experience on real money online casino sites. We dissect both big brand names and new casinos to ensure you receive the best online experience. 

Visit our online casino reviews page now to read our assessments of the top casino sites. 

Meet the OnlineCasinos.co.uk team of expert casino reviewers 

OnlineCasinos.co.uk has an industry-leading team of gambling experts. They’re experienced, enthusiastic and educated. 

But the greatest strength of our team is that they’re casino game players. This means they look out for you when they review an online casino, taking note of all the good and bad aspects of them to give you a fair assessment of the site. 

It’s this commitment to their fellow players that means you can trust the reviews written by our team are fair and accurate. 

Why payouts are important when picking a real money casino 

Payouts are super important when picking the real money casinos you’re going to place your bets at. The nature of real money casinos is that you invest your cash in the hope of winning some back. The better the payout at a site the better your chances of winning some money. 

Casino payouts are represented as RTP (return to player) and this is shown as a percentage. It’s called return to player because it’s the amount of money that goes back to gamblers over time. 

The examples below give you a clear idea of how RTP works for a £100 bet:

• 97% RTP: £97 is returned to players over time. 

• 98% RTP: £98 is returned to players over time.

• 99% RTP: £99 is returned to players over time.   

As you can see, the higher the RTP the better the payout and the greater your chance of winning some money when you’re playing online casino games. 

Top tip for mobile gambling at real money casinos

Mobile gambling is one of the greatest features of online casinos. You can place bets on your phone wherever you are, whether it’s from the comfort of your home or when you’re on the road. 

While every gambling site is accessible from your mobile phone, not all sites are available in the same way. This is because there are the following two options for mobile gambling: 

• Betting via an online casino app 

• Logging into your account via your mobile browser 

Our top tip for mobile gambling is to use an app if you want a more user-friendly service (apps are designed for mobile gambling) and use a mobile browser if you want to save space on your phone (apps take up room because you download them).   

Real money bonuses to look for at casino sites 

If you’re playing real money casino games then it could pay to see what bonuses are available to you. A casino bonus can be worth thinking about because it offers the chance to earn some free plays on real money games or boost the balance of your casino account. 

All the best online casinos in the UK offer bonuses and these are the main ones you can expect to find: 

Free spins 

Free spins are exclusively for slot games (a spin is a play on a slot game). These bonuses are often available to both new and returning players, with both gambling sites and casino games known to offer them. 

Welcome bonus 

A welcome bonus is for new players signing up to an online casino. These offers are generally for a cash amount and see casinos matching your deposit(s) to a certain level, giving you a chance to boost your initial investment. 

No deposit bonus 

A no deposit bonus is one of the most generous offers you can get from a UK casino site. No deposit bonuses are generous because they don’t ask you to invest your own cash to be able to get the benefits from them. 

Real money casino software providers

Casino software providers are a vital part of real money casino games and gambling sites. 

These are the companies that make the games you play and without them, you’d have no slots, blackjack, roulette or any other casino titles to test yourself on and win some real money from. 

There are lots of great casino software providers but these are the three best ones you can use to play real money casino games when gambling online: 

• Microgaming 

• Playtech 

• NetEnt 

Some online casinos (such as Casimba Casino) make it simple for you to find the software provider you want to use. Sites like Casimba Casino have filter settings within their games sections that allow you to highlight all the games made by a specific provider, so you can find the specific title you want. 

Read our review of Casimba Casino to find out more about what this top-rated gambling site has to offer you. 

How to choose the best real money online casinos

Gambling at real money casinos adds a competitive element to the games you play that you don’t get when playing free casino games. The reason for this is you have something invested in the outcome of the games, so you’re naturally more focused when making your bets and plays. 

Moving from free games to cash ones can be daunting and that’s why we’ve given you some top tips below to help choose the best real money casinos: 

Legalities of real money gambling

Real money gambling is legal in the UK. Online casinos that offer cash games are regulated by the Gambling Commission, an executive non-departmental public body of the UK Government. 

The Gambling Commission has the power to ensure casinos operate legally and can take action against any sites it believes aren’t meeting their legal obligations. The Gambling Commission can take the following actions against casinos to uphold gambling legislation: 

• Issue warnings 

• Impose fines 

• Invoke suspensions 

• Implement closures 

You can confirm that a UK online casino is regulated by the Gambling Commission by checking its website for the Gambling Commission logo. You can generally find the Gambling Commission logo published clearly on the footer of every web page on the casino website. 

Why should I play casino games for real money? 

Playing casino games should be about one thing above others – having fun. 

Having fun at an online casino means betting money sensibly, only wagering what you can afford on your favourite games. 

But there is an object to many casino games and that’s to win real money. 

But not all games are for real money, with many gambling sites offering free games or free demo versions of popular titles. 

We think that you can have fun both playing for free and for real money. 

However, if there’s one reason that you should play casino games for real money then it’s this – it’s more competitive. 

The reason for this is that when your playing for free there’s the temptation to bet bigger because you know you’ve got nothing to lose – when you’re playing for real money you know that you could end up out of pocket and this focuses your gameplay. 

So, play both free and real money casino games but make sure the reason you’re doing it is to have fun. 

What are the top payment gateways used by real money online casinos? 

Payment gateways are what you use to deposit your cash and then withdraw your money from your favourite gambling sites. 

We’ve written an extensive guide on the best casino payment gateways, focusing on the safest and most secure organisations – the ones you can trust with your money. 

Below is a list that gives you the payment gateways we’ve reviewed and approved: 

• PayPal 

• VISA

• Skrill 

• Neteller

• Mastercard

• ecoPayz

• Trustly

Best real money online casinos for payout speed 

Why payout speed is important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

The object of playing at online casinos for real money is that you win some cash. And while you and many other gamblers may not withdraw all of your winnings, you want to know that you’ll get your money quickly if you do. 

These are the things you should expect from payout speed: 

• Good payment gateways

• Reliability 

• Ideally, same-day payment

Top casino for payout speed: PlayOJO

Credit: PlayOJO

• PlayOJO is able to transfer your winnings into your bank account in 0-72 hours. 

Best real money online casinos for win rate

Why win rate is important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

Win rate is one of the key things to look for in online casinos that offer real money games. Why? Because it tells you how likely you are to actually earn some cash from the games you play. These are the things to be aware of with win rate: 

• It’s measured in RTP (return to player)

• Different games have different levels of win rate 

• You can’t guarantee you’ll get the win rate advertised – casino games are random

Best real money online casinos for welcome bonus 

Why welcome bonus is important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

Welcome bonuses offer you the chance to get some money to wager on your favourite casino games – meaning that the higher the welcome bonus the more games you can play for free. 

There are a few things to keep in mind with welcome bonuses: 

• You may need to meet wagering requirements to get your money 

• You might only be able to spend the money on certain games 

• You will need to deposit your own money to get the casino cash  

Top site for welcome bonus: Grand Ivy Casino

Credit: Grand Ivy Casino

• Grand Ivy Casino offers a welcome bonus package for new gamblers 

Best real money online casinos for free spins for online slots 

Why free spins are important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

Free spins give you an opportunity to play casino slots games for real money but without spending your own cash. While they sound like a great offer, there are some things you need to know about free spins: 

• You might only get a certain amount of spins each day

• They may only be for specific games 

• There may be a time limit on when you have to use them

Top casino for free spins: 

Credit: Genesis

• Genesis regularly updates its free spins offer

Best real money casino games 

Why games are important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

It’s pretty simple why games are so important when picking the best gambling site – if you don't play the games then you can’t win any money. Everyone has his or her own preferences for games, but there are a few things that are important to all gamblers: 

• Number of games 

• Variety of games

• Win rates of games

Top casino for games: Genesis 

• Genesis has around 1,000 games that you can play 

Best real money online casino for reviews from gamblers

Why reviews from gamblers are important when reviewing online casinos with real money games

We spend a lot of time playing and reviewing the best online casinos, but it’s important to know what your fellow gamblers think too. Why? Because they’re like you – people who want to play great casino games and they let it be known if a site offers a good or bad experience. 

The things to be aware of with reviews from your fellow gamblers are: 

• Keep an eye out for how many reviews an online casino has 

• A bad review doesn’t mean a bad site – people often give poor ratings because they didn’t win, not because the casino is bad

• Trustpilot is the most trusted reviews site 

Top casino for reviews from gamblers: BetVictor

• BetVictor has a 4.5/5 rating from Trustpilot based on 1,566 reviews

The UK’s best real money casinos 

1. Betway: the king of online casinos 

2. Mr Green: incredible customer service 

3. 888: covers all your gambling needs

4. LeoVegas: stunning games selection 

Betway Casino 🥇

Credit: Betway

Top three features of Betway 

• Welcome bonus 💷

• Great selection of real money games 🎲

• Very competitive win rate 💷

Betway is our top real money casino because it offers an exceptional all-round package for gamblers, including: 

• Welcome bonus

• Lots of games

• Top sports betting package 

Payout speed ⭐⭐⭐⭐: 24-48 hours 

You can deposit and withdraw your money using all of the major payment gateways, with average payout speeds being between 24 and 48 hours – so you can collect your winnings pretty quickly. 

You can find out all the reasons we think that Betway is so great for gamblers by reading our Casino Betway review. 

Mr Green Casino 🥈

Credit: Mr Green

Top three features of Mr Green 

• Outstanding customer service 👫

• Lots of real money games 🎲

• Excellent for mobile gambling 📱

Mr Green is our second-best real money casino because it has all the games and sports betting you need, but its the casino’s customer service that really sets it apart:  

• You get a quick reply to any concerns you have 

• It has a really helpful blog with top tips and advice

• Your fellow gamblers say great things about it 

Payout speed 💷⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: can be 0 hours 

With around 800 games to choose from, there’s something for every gambler – whatever you like to play you can be sure you’ll find plenty at Mr Green. And if that wasn’t enough, payouts can be instant (though sometimes they can take up to five working days to land in your account). 

Check out our Casino Mr Green review to find out why we think this is one of the UK’s top real money casinos. 

888 Casino🥉

Credit: 888

Top three features of 888 

• No deposit bonus 💷

• Outstanding poker offering 🂡

• Site is extremely easy to use 💻

888 is our third favourite real money casino because it has everything you could possibly want from a gambling site: 

• Plenty of great real money games 

• Very competitive win rate 

• A top sports betting package 

Payout speed 💷⭐⭐⭐: can be 48-96 hours 

It’s no surprise that 888’s poker games are among the best reason to visit this casino – it also has a superb poker card room, so you know that it values poker players. And you can collect your winning pretty fast too – payout speed is between 48 and 76 hours on average. 

We’re big fans of 888 and you can find out all the other reasons why by reading our Casino 888 review, or visiting 888 Casino for yourself.

LeoVegas Casino 🎲

Credit: LeoVegas

Top three features of LeoVegas

• Enormous games library 🎲

• Often offers a welcome bonus 💷

• Really user-friendly site 💻

Games are the reason that you head to real money casinos – if you don’t play games then you can’t win any cash – and LeoVegas has an incredible range of games for you to play: 

• Table games 

• Slot titles 

• Live casino gambling 

Payout speed 💷⭐⭐⭐: 24-120 hours 

It’s not just that you get a great choice of games to play at LeoVegas, the payout speed you get from this casino isn’t bad either – you can usually get your winnings within 24 hours, though, LeoVegas does advise that it can take up to five days. 

You can find out all the other great features of LeoVegas by checking out our Casino LeoVegas review, or visiting LeoVegas Casino.