Crypto gambling from the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is one of the toughest countries for crypto sportsbooks and casinos to operate in. Plenty of the more reputable sites geo-block Brits and will close your account if you use a VPN to get around the rules. However, some allow you to play. We’re here to show exactly where you can get your bets with crypto.

Below we show you who you can bet with, who allows (or turns a blind eye to) VPNs and who refuses UK players full-stop. We have independently reviewed every sportsbook, casino, dice and poker site so you can feel safe in signing up and depositing with any of the suggested crypto gambling sites.

UK friendly sites

SWC Poker – Poker
Trustdice – Sportsbook, casino and dice

Sites not accepting UK players

Betcoin – Sportsbook, casino and dice
Bitsler – Sportsbook, casino and dice
bitStarz – Casino
Primedice – Dice
Stake – Sportsbook, casino and dice

Why block the UK?

Crypto gambling is decentralized, so, in theory, should be allowed globally. However, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) are extremely proactive in writing to crypto gambling sites. They warn them that operating in Britain is illegal and will incur a large penalty. A lot of crypto sportsbooks don’t want to take them on and as a result geo-block UK bettors.

In 2016 UKGC agreed that UK gambling license holders can accept cryptocurrencies. However, the license holder must complete Know Your Customer (KYC) identification checks. An advantage of crypto gambling is anonymity – KYC removes this. Additionally, a UK gambling license is notoriously hard and expensive to acquire, with a high level of maintenance required to keep up with the strict regulations. On top of this, high yearly fees mean most crypto sportsbooks and casinos just opt to block UK players rather than jumping through the many hoops.

What happens if I get caught using a VPN?

If you get caught using a VPN on a crypto gambling site which isn’t VPN-friendly then your account will be closed and your funds will likely be confiscated. VPN-friendly sites will be okay with this, and you shouldn’t have an issue with them.

We asked customer service agents from various sportsbooks and casinos about this, you can see the answers they gave here, along with the dangers of using a VPN, and the best VPNs to use.

Recommendations for UK players

	Without VPN	With VPN
Sportsbook	Trustdice	Sportsbet
Casino	Trustdice	BitCasino.io
Dice	Trustdice	Trustdice
Poker	SWC Poker	SWC Poker