How Do Real Money Casino Sites Work

To play at a real money casino, you will need to deposit money which first requires registering an account. The reason why you need to register and give over certain details is down to the terms of a UKGC licence.

Operators are required to check the identity of their customers when they play for real money. Aside from confirming they are old enough to gamble, these checks are to prevent fraud and money laundering. Just as you need to provide confirm your identity when you receive payments from any other business, a casino needs to check your identity when it comes to deposits and withdrawals.

Even though you’ll need to create an account before you can play for real money, the process is very simple. Follow the steps below and you should be able to create a new account within a few minutes:

  • Step 1: Use our table of recommended real money casinos to find your perfect place to play.
  • Step 2: Click on the secure link and you’ll be taken directly to the registration page of your chosen casino.
  • Step 3: Input a few details such as your name, age, address, email address, desired screenname and password.
  • Step 4: Confirm your account via a link contained in a welcome email.
  • Step 5: Login to your new account, head to the cashier page and make a deposit.

After this you’ll be able to play casino games for real money. Before we move on to discuss casino bonuses – one of the perks of playing for real money, you need to know about ID checks. When you request your first withdrawal, the operator might ask you to supply documents to verify your identity. This usually happens if various electronic background checks can’t confirm who you are or you’ve requested a large withdrawal.

To complete this process, you’ll need to provide photographic ID (driver’s licence, passport or government ID card) and a recent utility bill showing your address. Once you’ve done this, your payment will be processed and you can continue to play for real money. 

Playing for Real Money Bonuses

From welcome offers to loyalty rewards, you can always get something extra when you bet for real money. Common casino welcome promotions when you deposit and play for real money include

Welcome Deposit Bonus: This is a cash bonus you receive when you make your first deposit.

Free Spins: Make a deposit and you’ll receive bonus or free spins on certain slots games

Reload Reward: Any subsequent deposit bonus you receive after the welcome reward is known as a reload bonus.

Loyalty Points: Real money casinos often have a VIP system whereby your bets count towards a monthly point total. Put simply, the more you wager, the better your VIP ranking and the more lucrative the prizes you receive will be.

Real Money Gaming in the UK

The UK has the largest regulated online gaming market in the world. And the UKGC is regarded as the gold standard for online casino, poker and betting regulation. The UKGC has ensured a strict set of rules are followed by every licensed casino offering free play and real cash payout games. As well as helping to ensure players are safe at all times, this licensing and regulation has helped the online casino economy go from strength-to-strength.

According to the UKGC’s financial report for the period covering April 2016 to March 2017, remote betting was worth £4.7 billion. That figure was up 10.1% on the previous accounting period and now makes online betting more lucrative than any other form of gambling in the UK. Of that total, casino games generated the most money, contributing a gross gambling yield (GGY) of £2.6 billion. Real money gambling is not only thriving, but leading the way in the iGaming industry at large.

Of course, if you don’t feel safe, then none of these numbers really matter. However, as mentioned, the UKGC has created one of the tightest and best regulated online gaming jurisdictions. All licensed operators must protect your transactions with SSL encryption and, additionally, they have to work with recognised payment processors. Moreover, your funds must be stored in secure, segregated accounts. This stipulation is important because it means that your money will always be safe, even if the site runs into financial difficulties. Basically, you should have no concern if you choose one of our recommended real money casino sites.

Real Money Sites vs Land Based Casinos

OK, so you can bet with real money online, but you can also do it inside a bricks and mortar casino. If we’re being honest, there is a certain thrill that comes with betting in a real casino. The riffling of chips and the smell of crisp bank notes being counted out is certainly satisfying. However, if you take these two things out of the equation, there isn’t really any benefits to playing live vs. playing online. You might get your winnings sooner if you play live, but the online arena is better in a number of other ways:

  1. You Can Play for Less: The average minimum stakes in a bricks and mortar UK casino are £5-£10 per bet. Online, you can play from as little as £0.10.
  2. You Can Play Whenever You Want: Being able to turn on your computer or mobile and find an affordable real money casino game in less than a minute. Even if you lived next door to a live casino, it would still take you longer to join the action.
  3. You Get Something Extra: As we’ve said, when you play online, you receive bonuses when you make deposits and place bets. Although some bricks and mortar casinos have tried to copy this model in recent years, it’s nowhere near as convenient, efficient or lucrative.

Progressive Slots

Another reason to make a deposit and play for real money is that it opens up a whole new range of slot games to play. Progressive (linked) slots can only be played once you’ve made a deposit, the reason being that they are based upon the amount that each player wagers in the jackpot pool. In addition to this many newly released slot games can only be played for real, being available on free play once a period of time has expired. So if you want to see and play a casino site’s full range of slot machines – open an account and play for real money!

How To Make a Deposit

The final thing you need to know is how to make a deposit. All casino sites have now made the depositing process as simple as possible. After creating your account, visit the cashier page, choose one of the options listed below, input a deposit amount (at least the minimum, which is usually £10) and click “OK”.

When it comes to real money casinos, nothing could be better than the range of UK online casinos. As well as being safe and secure, real money gambling gives you multiple ways to win serious money. To get into the action, make sure you check out all our reviewed casinos today.