Compare the Top Online Poker Sites for UK Players in 2025

With the best online poker sites in the UK, you can play cash games, take part in massive tournaments, and even have fun at fast-fold tables. You can also claim large bonuses that allow you to play for free. Let’s go over the top British poker sites and find the best seat at the table.

The UK’s Best Online Poker Sites

No 1 Crypto Poker

150% Welcome Bonus up to $2,000

150% Welcome Bonus up to $2,000

  • Get 33% rakeback every Monday
  • Anonymous poker with easy registration
  • Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
Cash Games
Jackpot Poker
MTT
PKO
+ 2 more
PLAY NOW
5/5
33%

New: Poker Client With Texas and Omaha

New: Poker Client With Texas and Omaha

  • AoF poker tables
  • Decent traffic on NL
  • Multi table tournaments just added
PLAY NOW
4.5/5
Play Hi-Lo Stud

100% up to $2,000

100% up to $2,000

  • Blitz poker for speed and convenience
  • Seven card stud poker available
  • WPN network with solid player base
7 Card Stud
Cash Games
Fast Fold Poker
Fixed Limit
+ 7 more
PLAY NOW
4.5/5
27%
WSOP Qualifiers

100% up to $2,000 Welcome Offer

100% up to $2,000 Welcome Offer

  • Seven card stud and 5 table PLO available
  • Winning poker network
  • Play with other US poker players from all non-regulated states
7 Card Stud
Cash Games
Fast Fold Poker
Fixed Limit
+ 5 more
PLAY NOW
4.5/5
27%
Play 7 Card Stud

Poker Bonus of 100% up to $2,000

Poker Bonus of 100% up to $2,000

  • Check players at tables with rail tickets
  • WPN - US friendly poker network
  • Step satellites for popular tournaments
7 Card Stud
Cash Games
Fast Fold Poker
Fixed Limit
+ 5 more
PLAY NOW
4.5/5
27%

UK Poker Sites Ranked by Traffic

Last Updated: March 18, 2025 at 12:01 pm GMT
Poker Site 7 Day avg Online Cash 24 H Peak Last Week Play Now
PokerStars 2500 55540 1557 4498 12429,12884,12046,12107,11915,11168,11198,11674,12187,11748,11458,11304,10515,10805
GGNetwork 12000 197262 13489 16817 3962,3960,3820,3674,3599,3284,3428,3571,3690,3683,4069,3989,3520,3802
888poker 325 236 696 1868,1921,1823,1857,1936,1726,1895,1802,2002,1848,1692,1705,1604,1669
PartyPoker 550 499 1111 3007,2816,2952,2933,2862,2566,2590,2865,2805,2731,2658,5003,2496,2805
iPoker 1500 3099 1450 2917 1543,1611,1601,1580,1718,1512,1378,1430,1549,1494,1571,1683,1442,1401

Comparing the Best Online Poker Rooms in the UK

Compare the top UK poker sites and see which have the best bonuses, what games they offer, and even if they have fast-fold poker games.

UK Poker SiteWelcome BonusRakebackPoker GamesFast Fold PokerTournaments
CoinPoker150% bonus match up to $2,00033%Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha 5N/ATournament Series, SNG, PKO, Jackpot SNG (Cosmic Spins), Qualifiers and Satellites, Live Tournament Buy-in
BC Game PokerDaily FreerollsN/ATexas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha 5, Short DeckN/AMulti-Table Tournaments, Qualifiers and Satellites
ACR Poker100% bonus match up to $2,00027%Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha 5, Seven Card StudBlitz PokerTournament Series, SNG, PKO, Jackpot SNGs, Qualifiers and Satellites, Live Qualifiers
Black Chip Poker100% bonus match up to $2,00027%Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha 5, Seven Card StudBlitz PokerTournament Series, SNG, PKO, Jackpot SNGs, Qualifiers and Satellites, Live Qualifiers
Ya Poker100% bonus match up to $2,00027%Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha 5, Seven Card StudBlitz PokerTournament Series, SNG, PKO, Jackpot SNGs, Qualifiers and Satellites Live Qualifiers

Best UK Online Poker Sites for Beginners

With the best online poker sites in the United Kingdom now easily accessible, many players are interested in trying out some games. But which are the top platforms for beginners? To be considered truly friendly to new players, a UK poker room must support low stakes, have an easy-to-navigate lobby, and keep deposits and withdrawals simple. Plus – crucially – it can’t be packed with highly experienced sharks, ready to gobble up the new players’ cash!

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

For new players, CoinPoker is the best site for online poker in the UK. Cash game stakes start from $0.01/$0.02 – the absolute lowest micro stakes available. Traffic is really good here, so you’ll find several tables running for no-limit Texas Hold’em that you can join for just $2 and have 100 big blinds.

Tournaments at the crypto-friendly poker room are ideal for new players. We found quite a few freerolls on the UK poker room. For newbies, we’d also recommend the $1 Daily Dollar with a $200 guaranteed prize pool. It’s a great tournament for checking out the action without breaking the bank, and the relatively small prize pool keeps the most experienced players away.

No 1 Crypto Poker
  • Get 33% rakeback every Monday
  • Anonymous poker with easy registration
  • Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
10
5 Stars

Honourable mention: Black Chip Poker

Black Chip Poker is one of the best poker sites for UK players, and is very welcoming for beginners. While the poker lobby is a bit more difficult to navigate than at CoinPoker, you’ll find a lot of tables at the minimum $0.01/$0.02 blinds. Texas Hold’em is the go-to option here, but Omaha beginners have tables to choose from as well.

On top of that, Black Chip Poker has a slight banking advantage for newcomers, since you can easily deposit with credit cards through the cashier. This will be up your street if you prefer using traditional methods in the UK for real money online poker, rather than the crypto payments you’ll find at CoinPoker.

Best UK Online Poker Sites for Experienced Players

The requirements for experienced poker players often include high traffic for bigger tournaments, great rakeback, a big poker bonus, fast withdrawals, and a poker client with the right features. So, which real money poker sites in the UK fit this description?

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

Once again, CoinPoker came out on top. This UK-friendly poker room truly delivers the complete package across a range of stakes. Simply put, it has the best poker bonus in the UK, giving new players a big incentive to join and deposit a significant amount. Plus, it also offers an industry-leading rakeback system where you can claim 33% back from the rake you pay towards cash games and tournaments.

The extra funds will come in handy when browsing the many cash games for mid-stakes. But it doesn’t stop there. This is also the best UK poker site if you’re interested in high stakes play.

In late 2024 and early 2025, CoinPoker hosted the first Cash Game World Championship (CGWC), which saw p[layers such as Nik Airball, Tony G, Linus Loeliger and eventual winner Owen Messere competing at $100/$200 cash game tables, with live-streaming and commentary from the CoinPoker team.

Not only does CoinPoker have a busy schedule for online poker UK tournaments, it also runs a special series known as the Crypto Series of Online Poker (CSOP). This is available at different buy-ins and comes with big guarantees across several levels.

Honourable mention: ACR Poker

ACR Poker remains a solid choice for serious online poker in the UK. It gets great traffic, so finding an active table with an open seat will not be an issue, no matter what stakes you prefer. It’s also the home of a progressive jackpot race called ‘The Beast’, where you can earn extra rewards simply by playing poker and earning points.

The Jackpot SNG events at ACR are worth mentioning here for experienced poker players in the UK. These are fast-paced events with three players available at $5, $15, and $50 buy-ins where the prize is determined randomly before the game starts and can go up to $1,000,000. The rake sucks on smaller prizes, but the games are full of fish playing non-GTO poker.

Top UK Poker Sites for Cash Games

Poker cash games are the most popular among British players. The blinds remain the same and you can leave the table at any time. Plus, playing online poker in the UK comes with some handy perks, like the option to multi-table, customise the layout, and more.

If you’re interested in the best poker sites for cash games anywhere in the United Kingdom, check out the following recommendations.

Top recommendation: ACR Poker

The overall best UK poker site for cash games is ACR Poker. It covers multiple variants of the game across a range of stakes. You’ll find tables for:

  • Texas Hold’em
  • Omaha
  • Omaha H/L
  • 5-Card Omaha
  • 5-Card Omaha H/L
  • 7-Card Stud
  • 7-Card Stud H/L

ACR is feature-rich, with all-in or fold, short stacked and bomb pot options. You’ll also find quite a few cash tables that are “7 Day No Rathole”. This means that players can only join the same table within seven days by using the same amount they had when they left the table. The feature is meant to prevent players from winning a big pot and then leaving the table only to come back with the standard table buy-in.

In other words, no more ‘hit and run’.

Play Hi-Lo Stud
  • Blitz poker for speed and convenience
  • Seven card stud poker available
  • WPN network with solid player base
9.9
4.5 Stars

Honourable mention: CoinPoker

Although CoinPoker has fewer game variations, its online poker UK cash games section is always buzzing. The main options are for no-limit Hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, with 5-Card Omaha also being available for cash games. Ante cash tables are quite popular at CoinPoker UK, and you’ll also find tables with a maximum of four players.

One of the special types of cash games found here is known as “Show Hole Cards”. As the name suggests, all live hole cards are automatically revealed at the end of the hand. The option to muck the hand is not available on these special tables.

Best British Poker Sites for Tournaments

Poker tournaments can provide a big payout from a small buy-in, but they require different skills than the ones for cash games. If you can nail them – and get a stroke of luck along the way – you could win upwards of six or even seven figures in certain events.

Top recommendation: Black Chip Poker

Black Chip Poker offers more than $12 million in weekly guarantees, making it a top site for online poker tournaments in the United Kingdom. We like the fact that it provides non-stop action throughout the week, but the weekend is clearly the busiest based on the schedule.

Special events on the Winning Poker Network include the Venom tournament that takes place twice a year, in which the main event guarantee has previously topped $12.5m. As well as that, you’ve got the “Online Super Series Cub3d”, made out of three series with hundreds of events for buy-ins at all stake levels, and Million Dollar Sundays. Get in on the cheap by qualifying via satellite.

WSOP Qualifiers
  • Seven card stud and 5 table PLO available
  • Winning poker network
  • Play with other US poker players from all non-regulated states
9.7
4.5 Stars

Honourable mention: CoinPoker

The tournament offering at CoinPoker is impressive. As one of the best poker sites in the UK, CoinPoker gets great traffic and this results in big tournaments at all stakes. The operator also makes sure to offer a variety of events with special features and modifiers. In addition to the standard formats, you’ll also find variants such as:

  • Satellites
  • Turbos
  • Hyper turbos
  • Knockout bounty events
  • Rebuys
  • Add-ons

CoinPoker is the only site for real money online poker in the UK where you can directly buy packages for live tournaments. These include tournaments in major series in the UK and Ireland. You can also check out the qualifiers for the chance to win live poker packages for less by playing online.

Best Poker Sites in the UK for Bonuses and Rakeback

Bonuses and promotions make a big difference when playing online poker for real money in the UK. You can earn more when you deposit, claim rakeback while you play, and even take part in special promotions with cash rewards. If you’re looking for the best websites for poker in the UK that have awesome bonuses, here are the best picks.

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

The welcome bonus at CoinPoker provides the most value for real money UK online poker players. You can benefit from a significant boost when making a first deposit on any of the most popular poker sites. The maximum limit ensures that even high rollers can take advantage of this deal. Like with other UK poker bonuses, the CoinPoker welcome offer is released in 10% instalments as you pay rake.

Speaking of rake, the 33% rakeback offer at CoinPoker is also above the industry norm. This is awarded every week. To qualify, your account just needs to have some CHP, which is the poker room’s unique cryptocurrency.

Some of our favourite promotions at CoinPoker include:

  • Daily leaderboards for Omaha and Hold’em ($1,000 prize pools)
  • Monthly tournament leaderboard worth $10,000
  • Bad Beat Jackpot

Honourable mention: ACR Poker

ACR Poker has its fair share of poker bonuses and promotions for players in the UK. It starts with a matching bonus on the first deposit and continues with weekly reload bonuses. The other promotional highlights on the network include the three progressive races:

  • The Beast
  • Daily Double
  • Sit & Crush

Top UK Online Poker Sites Reviewed

To find out more details regarding the best sites for online poker in the UK, we will go into in-depth reviews for each brand. This way, you can compare offerings and see which one best fits your requirements.

1. CoinPoker – Best UK Online Poker Site in 2025

UK Poker NetworkLicenceWithdrawal Timeframe
IndependentAnjouan Offshore Finance Authority0-12 hours

CoinPoker - Top UK Poker Sites

CoinPoker is the best site in the UK for poker online for real money. It uses a decentralised random number generator (RNG) to ensure that every shuffle is random. This makes the games fair and actually better than the live poker games in London.

Moreover, the poker client is user-friendly and you can easily navigate the lobby on a desktop computer or on your mobile as it has one of the best online poker apps around.

You’ll find cash games at all stakes, tournaments of various sizes, special events and even live buy-ins, and jackpot sit and go events called Cosmic Spins. CoinPoker offers games across Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 5-Card Omaha. Traffic is solid, with stakes starting from just $0.01/$0.02 and going all the way up to $1,000/$2,000 blinds.

Banking for real money online poker in the UK is only done through cryptocurrencies, while the displayed currency is USDT to make it more familiar for all players. You can deposit via major coins and also from an exchange.

The welcome bonus is applied automatically and so you won’t need to worry about any promo codes. When we did our CoinPoker review, withdrawals only took around 10 minutes to process.

Pros

  • Easy to access from anywhere in the UK
  • Instant deposits and fast withdrawals
  • Great action across all stake levels
  • Exclusive series of tournaments every year

Cons

  • Lack of fast-fold poker options online
  • Limited help section on the site
No 1 Crypto Poker
  • Get 33% rakeback every Monday
  • Anonymous poker with easy registration
  • Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
10
5 Stars

2. ACR Poker – The Flagship Poker Site of a Massive UK Online Poker Network

UK Poker NetworkLicenceWithdrawal Timeframe
Winning Poker NetworkCuraçao Gaming Control Board1-2 days

ACR Poker - UK Online Poker Sites

ACR Poker, formerly known as Americas Cardroom, is popular across the pond as well. In fact, it’s one of the best poker sites for real money for UK players. The software is available by free download for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

After a quick installation, the lobby will present a variety of options, which can be a bit overwhelming at first.

The good news is that you can use the filter options to only view the available cash tables for your preferred game and stakes. In addition to Hold’em and Omaha, it also has a few tables for Seven Card Stud, which is a great alternative for playing poker online in the UK. Because it’s on the Winning Poker Network, traffic is top-tier.

One highlight here is that the online poker real money site offers staking, which allows you to buy a portion of another player’s buy-in for a tournament or sell a part of yours. By buying a stake in another player, you receive a percentage of the payout if they make it into the money for that tournament. With several ACR pros and experienced players on the website, staking can be a good way to earn money without even playing.

Pros

  • Fast-fold poker games known as Blitz
  • Long list of tournaments available weekly
  • Can deposit with cards and cryptocurrencies
  • Extra races for cash games, tournaments, and SNG

Cons

  • Mobile layout for instant play can be improved
  • Smaller bonus and rakeback than other UK poker sites
Play Hi-Lo Stud
  • Blitz poker for speed and convenience
  • Seven card stud poker available
  • WPN network with solid player base
9.9
4.5 Stars

3. Black Chip Poker – Great Software Features for British Online Poker

UK Poker NetworkLicenceWithdrawal Timeframe
Winning Poker NetworkCuraçao Gaming Control Board1-2 days

Black Chip Poker - UK Online Poker Sites

Black Chip Poker is on the Winning Poker Network, along with other top poker websites, such as ACR Poker and Ya Poker. This means that it comes with most of the same games and features. But the client design is a bit more elegant.

The app is free to download from the site and it has some awesome features. First of all, you can enable two-factor authentication for extra security when playing. Once on the tables, the stats display will be very useful for tournaments as you can see the standings at a glance.

Black Chip Poker UK offers anonymous tables but users also receive rail table tickets that can be used to view the players at a table for five hours. If you prefer cash games, Blitz Poker tables are available around the clock and the fast-fold variant runs very well.

Pros

  • Good poker action for all bankrolls
  • Simple withdrawals at any time
  • Loads of satellites and qualifiers
  • Elite Benefits Rewards program for extra perks

Cons

  • Doesn’t accept many altcoins for banking
  • Customer support can take a few days to respond
WSOP Qualifiers
  • Seven card stud and 5 table PLO available
  • Winning poker network
  • Play with other US poker players from all non-regulated states
9.7
4.5 Stars

4. Ya Poker – Secure Online Poker for Real Money in the UK

UK Poker NetworkLicenceWithdrawal Timeframe
Winning Poker NetworkCuraçao Gaming Control Board1-2 days

Ya Poker - UK Poker Sites

Ya Poker comes with a great mix of features, including strong traffic and secure real money banking. It also offers something for everyone across cash games and tournaments, with extra options for casino games and sports betting available within the same client.

While it doesn’t have the sharpest visuals, especially when compared to CoinPoker, Ya Poker does make it easy to find the preferred tables and take a seat.

The improved cashier supports credit cards, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, and MoneyGram for deposits. These are processed instantly and start from just $10, although credit card deposits can have fees.

As for withdrawals, you can cash out directly to your crypto wallet or via MG. However, MG payouts must be between $100 and $350, while BTC withdrawals can go up to $25,000.

Pros

  • Trusted licence and fair shuffling
  • Can play Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud
  • Matching deposit bonus for new UK poker players
  • Tournaments with large fields and big prize pools

Cons

  • Not as popular as other WPN brands in the UK
  • Deposits by credit cards can have fees attached
Play 7 Card Stud
  • Check players at tables with rail tickets
  • WPN - US friendly poker network
  • Step satellites for popular tournaments
9.5
4.5 Stars

Online Poker Games for Real Money at UK Poker Sites

With the best poker websites easily accessible in the United Kingdom, you’ll find a varied mix of games available. Since some of the rules are different with each game variation, it’s important to know how they work before taking a seat.

Learn more about the main types of poker games found in the UK.

Texas Hold’em

The go-to poker variant available in Great Britain, and really in the entire world, is Texas Hold’em. When talking about UK poker, odds are that it’s about Texas Hold’em. This is where each player at the table receives two cards that they can see from the start of the round. Five community cards can be placed on the table by the end of the hand and there are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn and river.

The goal in Texas Hold’em is to have the strongest hand of five cards, resulted from combining the hole cards with the available community cards. You can also win by being the last player left in the round. The best sites to play poker for Hold’em are CoinPoker and ACR.

Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo

Omaha is available at all of the top poker sites in the UK and it generally gets good action. The main difference when compared to Hold’em is that each player in Omaha starts with four hole cards, rather than two. But you must only use two of those four cards to create a hand. Other than that, it’s quite easy to learn how to play Omaha.

Moreover, Omaha Hi/Lo tables are very popular as they split the available pot into two halves. One half goes to the strongest hand, and the second half is for the weakest hand. This often results in more betting since there are two outcomes that get paid. Most Omaha tables are played at pot-limit, but there are also no-limit tables available online.

Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

Seven Card Stud is available in the UK on the Winning Poker Network. This variant is quite different from Hold’em and Omaha as players receive a total of seven cards each, four of which are facing up. This means you’re playing with more info for each player, instead of relying on a community board of cards.

With Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, the strongest and the weakest hands at the end of the round each receive half of the pot. It’s best to learn how to play Seven Card Stud first, before you delve into the more complex Hi/Lo variant.

Other Poker Games in the UK

If you’re looking for poker where you don’t need to bluff or take on fellow players, you’ll find that the best UK poker websites also have dedicated casino sections. These are great for enjoying other games and include poker variants like casino Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Triple Card poker, and more. Just remember these are completely different to peer-to-peer poker, and there’s a house edge.

Video poker machines are also popular on no KYC casinos and include Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, and Joker Poker. These are quite easy to play as you start off with five cards and can replace any of them in one round in an attempt to create the strongest hand for a matching payout. Again, there’s a slight advantage to the casino, and the outcome is less determined by skill than ‘regular’ poker.

Banking Methods for Online Poker in the United Kingdom

Banking is of major importance and the best poker sites for British players offer a solid range of methods for depositing and withdrawing funds. These allow for simple transactions, usually with limits starting from just £10 and going well into the thousands.

The actual deposit methods will depend on the sites for online poker in the UK and you can learn more about the top options here:

  • Credit and debit cards: Since the top poker sites in the UK are based in other jurisdictions, they don’t have to worry about local regulations for using credit or debit cards online. This means that you can deposit via Visa and Mastercard on most poker rooms. But these options aren’t always available for withdrawing, so you might have to opt for something else.
  • Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other cryptocurrencies have become the best banking methods for online poker in the UK for real money. They allow for instant deposits and fast withdrawals without charging any significant fees.
  • ewallets: While ewallets like PayPal and Skrill remain quite popular for online transactions in the United Kingdom, they tend not to be available on the best poker sites. Due to local regulations, the operators cannot process transactions that well and so ewallets have largely been replaced by cryptos at the top poker sites in the UK.
  • Wire transfers: Bank wire transfers remain a solid option for online poker in the UK. They can allow for large transactions, but can also present higher fees than the other methods covered above. Withdrawals by wire transfers can take several business days to complete.

How to Deposit and Play Online Poker in the UK

The top sites really make it easy to deposit and start playing poker online in the United Kingdom. After selecting a poker room from the list, you simply have to visit the site and create an account.

In some cases, you can play directly on the site. For other platforms, you’ll have to download and install the poker client.

Once everything is ready, you can sign in using your new account and deposit funds through the cashier. Here is where you select your preferred payment method from the list and fill out the required details. Deposits are usually instant and your funds will then be ready.

Once this is done, you can browse the cash tables and tournaments from the lobby and join the ones you prefer. Any winnings you earn will be instantly added to the account balance and you can withdraw funds from the same cashier you used to deposit.

The best online poker sites in the UK have fast withdrawals, usually processed and approved within 24 hours.

New Poker Sites in the United Kingdom

You can never have too many good poker sites, so it makes sense to keep an eye on the newest additions to the market. New poker sites in the UK often come with unique features, which can be larger bonuses, different games, or even softer competition.

The newest brand that’s competing with the best real money poker sites is BC.Game. Known among players for its casino offering, the site now also features a poker section, available without any downloads.

BC.Game Poker offers a few tables for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 5-Card Omaha, and Short Deck Poker. While it doesn’t have a lot of traffic just yet, the competition is very soft since most players come over from the casino section. It also runs several tournaments, including daily freerolls, and has extra tables for All-In-or-Fold (AOF).

Online Poker Regulations in the UK

The United Kingdom is readily recognised as one of the most, if not the most, online poker-friendly countries in the world.

No consumer taxes, permissive regulations, and strong modern gambling traditions have shaped it into a European iGaming enthusiast’s dream. UK citizens can easily access a variety of poker sites and play for real money at any time.

The only negative aspect of the UK’s legal situation is that the majority of quintessentially British gambling businesses moved their headquarters offshore. But this is not at all surprising, considering how non-competitive the UK’s tax system is when compared to the likes of Gibraltar or the Isle of Man.

United Kingdom Real Money Online Poker Laws

Two important, 21st-century legal documents outlined regulations pertaining specifically to online poker. The first was the Gambling Act of 2005, which essentially guaranteed players the freedoms they were already enjoying at the time. It explicitly allowed UK-based players to play on poker platforms of their own choosing, outlawed cheating, and transferred licensing authority to local regulatory bodies.

The second was the 2014 Gambling Bill, which reintroduced licences for offshore gambling sites looking to offer services to UK residents. Keep in mind this bill did not fence-off the UK gambling market. It simply imposed a point-of-consumption tax on operators.

As hard as it is to believe, the United Kingdom didn’t have any regulations mandating poker sites pay relevant operator-side taxes. On the contrary, the British regulators were counting on sites to pay their dues voluntarily.

What Is or Is Not Legal in the United Kingdom?

UK residents have had legal access to all the poker variants available online since the earliest days of the industry. Cash games? Check. Sit & Go tournaments? Check. Multi-table tournaments? You bet.

Everything was available right from the get-go. As mentioned above, legislators have never made any serious attempts at changing this.

The United Kingdom and Poker-Related Taxes

UK-based players haven’t had to pay any consumer taxes on online poker throughout the poker boom, an era which started back when Chris Moneymaker won his WSOP bracelet in 2003. The event made poker news all over the world and encouraged loads of other players to try their luck as well.

What’s more, players don’t have to pay them to this day. This is due to the fact that, in 2002, the Labour government got rid of consumer taxes on all forms of gambling in an attempt to encourage local iGaming enthusiasts to play more

History of Online Poker in the United Kingdom

The roots of modern online poker-related regulations can be traced back to the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960. This act allowed residents to bet on Bridge and other games of skill. It also allowed UK-based businesses to open betting shops across the country.

By 1965, over 15,000 betting shop licences had been issued by local magistrates.

The second breakthrough for UK-based gambling came with the Gaming Act of 1968, which added land-based casinos to the mix. In 2005, the Gaming Act was expanded to include massive Las Vegas-style gambling establishments. It’s worth noting, though, that this came with rather strict limits on the total number of venues of this type that could be built.

With that limitation, online casino enthusiasts and high-stakes players often look to international casinos instead. These acts set the stage for all the aforementioned modern legislative acts. They allow for large player pools for poker, giving UK players access to international networks. For example, you can even play on some of the best poker sites in Canada while in the UK.

Where Can I Play Poker Live in the United Kingdom?

With 570+ poker tables spread across 78 rooms located all over the country, the United Kingdom is a perfect place for people who enjoy physically playing poker.

It’s also a major tournament hot-spot, with big events scheduled on a weekly basis. Below,you can check out a short list of UK brick-and-mortar poker rooms worth visiting:

  • Dusk Till Dawn (Redfield Way, Boulevard Retail Park, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2UW)
  • The Vic (150-162 Edgware Rd, London W2 2DT)
  • The Hippodrome (Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH)
  • Aspers Stratford (312 Montfichet Rd, Olympic Park, London E20 1ET)
  • G Casino Coventry (Ricoh Arena, Phoenix Way, Coventry CV6 6GE)
  • Empire Poker Room (6 Leicester Street, London WC2H)
  • Grosvenor Casino Victoria London Poker Room (150-162 Edgware Rd, Marylebone, London W2 2DT)

Top Poker Sites UK – Conclusion

The bottom line is that poker online for real money is booming in the United Kingdom and players have access to top sites. You can join UK online poker rooms and start playing within minutes, with CoinPoker and ACR Poker being the best choices right now.

Both of these offer great cash games and tournaments, plus SNG events, special series, and more. Banking is simple and secure, with cryptocurrencies providing the quickest withdrawals.

Generous welcome bonuses, tax-free winnings and some exciting, new poker rooms competing with the top poker sites in the UK is essentially the perfect recipe for online poker – and long may it continue!

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