Casinos in United Kingdom

Introduction

Gambling is a big part of British life with nearly 45% of the adult population taking part in the pastime. Horse racing and betting have been a part of daily life for centuries. The United Kingdom has everything from local betting shops to lavish casinos.

Today, the gambling industry operates under the watchful eye and occasional heavy hand of the Gambling Commission enforcing the current laws introduced in the Gambling Act 2005. The legislation represented a sea change in the way the government controls the gambling business and makes sure consumers are protected, especially those who are vulnerable such as children and those who may be at risk of addiction or other gambling harm. 

Gambling laws have evolved over the years along with changes in the industry and social perceptions and opinions yet the subject of how best to deal with the sector’s impact is still hotly debated in some quarters.

The Gambling Act was updated in 2020 after a review, headed up by the government, which sought to inform authorities on how best to adapt regulations to address new challenges presented by online gambling. Like governments with liberalized gambling laws everywhere, the UK must perform a delicate three-axis balancing act between allowing the freedom of its citizens to recreate as they see fit, maximizing revenues, and minimizing any potential harm to society.

From High Street betting shops to the fanciest casinos of Mayfair, the race track, the bingo parlors, or the National Lottery, all are under the control of one of the strictest regulators in the world - Great Britain’s Gambling Commission, sometimes referred to as the UKGC.

History of Gambling

Organized gambling in the UK has a checkered history with periods of indulgence and other times of societal deterrence. We don’t need to look back a thousand or more years, but since Great Britain has been such a stable society, we could and we’d find plenty of developments. For this article, it's well enough to look at organized gambling as a part of the social fabric beginning just a few hundred years ago with the Brits’ interest in and passion for horse racing. This tradition can be followed with direct lines into the present with enduring events like the Grand National.

Gambling has not always been easily accessible to everyone. For most of the 1800s, many types of gambling were illegal since social reformers and especially groups like evangelical Protestants looked at what is now a recreational activity as a corrupt influence on humanity.

Things began to change quickly with the introduction of the Betting and Gaming Act in 1960. The law allowed betting shops and other gambling establishments to be open legally. The Betting and Gaming Act set the stage for a well-regulated gambling industry that began to grow in popularity. By the 2000s a new wave of gambling emerged on the back of the internet which led to the Gambling Act 2005. The new legislation updated the laws that regulated land-based casinos but it also brought online gambling under the government’s control.

The idea of "Super Casinos" began to gel around the same time. These Super Casinos would have been large-scale casino resorts like those found in Las Vegas. The regulations allowing these properties never became ink on paper but local authorities were given a carve-out relaxing the mandatory requirements to gain approval for 8 large casinos and 8 smaller ones instead.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

The UK’s gambling industry is tightly regulated in a successful effort to make sure fair play, crime prevention, and protection of the vulnerable are taken care of. The Gambling Commission was established under the Gambling Act 2005 and it oversees all gambling operations, including online betting, land-based casinos, and lotteries. Their prime directive is to make sure that gambling is free of criminal activity while at the same time, providing safeguards for players especially those who might be at risk for problem gambling.

Another important part of the UK regulatory framework is the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA governs gambling advertising. Gambling ads have been allowed across all media channels and platforms since 2007 as long they follow the strict guidelines imposed by the ASA. Advertisements cannot be misleading and they can’t appeal to or target vulnerable groups like minors. Advertising guidelines are not set in aspic, so to speak and they are continuously adjusted based on perceptions and newly identified niche needs.

A complete review of the Gambling Act was launched in 2021 to address changes in the industry, especially regarding online gambling. The review set out to update some sections of the law and to find new ways to protect consumers in the digital age. The resultant White Paper was a disappointment to many stakeholders - to some it went too far in certain areas and to others it didn’t go far enough. The Commission was in a no-win situation but did the work anyway and some of the reforms have improved lives while also becoming a burden on operators and customers such as source-of-wealth reporting requirements and affordability checks for online punters.

Popular Spots and Games

The UK is home to around 150 licensed land-based casinos. These range from opulent and grand gambling houses in London to regional casinos all across the country. One of the largest and most impressive is the Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds. While it doesn’t compare in size to the big casinos of Las Vegas or Macau, In UK terms, it’s a huge gaming venue with an impressive assortment of games. Visitors will find over 140 slot machines, 24 live gaming tables, and a dedicated poker room.

In London, the Hippodrome Casino is not only a landmark but the largest casino in the UK, welcoming millions of visitors every year. It’s located in Leicester Square and Hippodrome has everything from roulette and blackjack to live poker and slot machines, spread over several floors of the former theater and nightclub.

It first opened in 1900 as a circus theater with a 100,000-gallon pool along with performances featuring horse-drawn carriages, elephants, and polar bears. It was reborn as a variety theater and music hall in 1909 and then in 1958, it became a dinner theater featuring big names of the era like Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1983 it became a nightclub and restaurant and in 2008 it got back to its roots as a circus venue for burlesque cabaret La Clique before finally undergoing a massive renovation and opening as the Hippodrome Casino in 2012.

Luxury casinos like Les Ambassadeurs Club and Crockfords Club in London’s Mayfair attract high rollers. They offer a more private, upscale atmosphere where members can enjoy table games in a refined setting. The Ritz Club was once part of this elite circle but it closed its doors permanently in 2020 after decades of being a favorite among well-heeled gamblers since its opening.

The club was located in the former ballroom of the Ritz London Hotel and was privately owned and very exclusive. Some famous name visitors of its era include Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, and Bill Clinton. The establishment closed its doors around the time of the Covid lockdowns and never re-opened them. It had purportedly been secretly available for sale for several years and the Barclay brothers eventually sold the premises license to Hard Rock who planned to open another establishment in London later.

Conclusion

Land-based casinos in the UK are diverse enough to cover the needs of every type of gambler. Whether punters frequent their local casino or venues like Victoria Gate Casino or the Hippodrome in London or they can be accepted in and afford to gamble in high-end clubs like Les Ambassadeurs and Crockfords, there’s something for everyone. Over the years, the gambling industry and regulators have adapted to the changing times, sometimes in a leapfrog fashion, but never in a situation where the tail wags the dog thanks to the robust regulatory framework executed by the Gambling Commission.