# Guides: online casinos, sports betting and prediction markets in the UK

- URL: https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-22 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
- Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/

## Online casinos

- [Are online casinos legal in the UK? Licences, stake limits and the rules](https://safebet.ai/uk/online-casinos/are-online-casinos-legal/): Yes, in Great Britain, with a casino operator licensed by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005, for players 18 and over. Online slot stakes are capped at £5 a spin, or £2 if you're 18 to 24, slots can't spin faster than once every 2.5 seconds, and bonus wagering is capped at 10 times. Every licensed site must check your age before you play or deposit and take part in GAMSTOP, the national self-exclusion scheme.
- [How we rank online casinos in the UK](https://safebet.ai/uk/online-casinos/how-we-rank/): We only rank casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission, at web addresses on its public register. Each is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, games, payments and payouts, app and experience, responsible gambling, and support, and the ranking follows the overall scores. Fines and settlements on the Commission's register lower the licensing score, and we don't list or score bonuses.

## Sports betting

- [Is sports betting legal in the UK? Licences, tax and the rules](https://safebet.ai/uk/sports-betting/is-sports-betting-legal/): Yes. Sports betting is legal in Great Britain with operators licensed by the Gambling Commission, for adults 18 and over, online and in betting shops. Bookmakers need a remote general betting licence and betting exchanges a betting intermediary licence; both are listed with their web addresses on the Commission's public register. Bettors pay no tax on winnings: the bookmaker pays General Betting Duty, and a new 25% rate for online bets applies from April 1, 2027.
- [How we rank betting sites in the UK](https://safebet.ai/uk/sports-betting/how-we-rank/): We only rank bookmakers licensed by the Gambling Commission, at web addresses on its public register. Each is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, markets and features, odds and limits, payments and payouts, app and experience, and support and responsible gambling, and the ranking follows the overall scores. Fines and settlements lower the licensing score; we judge odds on what each bookmaker publishes, because their terms forbid automated odds collection; and we don't score bonuses.

## Prediction markets

- [How we rank betting exchanges and prediction markets in the UK](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/how-we-rank/): We only rank betting exchanges licensed by the Gambling Commission, the legal way to trade on events against other people in Great Britain; Polymarket and Kalshi, which block UK users, are never ranked. Each exchange is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, markets and features, commission and fees, liquidity, deposits and withdrawals, and app and experience, and the ranking follows the overall scores. We don't list or score bonuses.

## Taxes, safety & more

- [Are prediction markets legal in the UK? Polymarket, Kalshi and betting exchanges](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/are-prediction-markets-legal-in-the-uk/): Partly. Betting on elections and other events is legal in Great Britain with operators licensed by the Gambling Commission, including betting exchanges such as Betfair and Smarkets, where you trade against other users much as on a prediction market. Polymarket and Kalshi hold no British licence and block UK users. Event contracts sold as financial products fall under the FCA's ban on selling binary options to retail customers, in force since April 2, 2019.
- [Is Polymarket legal in the UK?](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/is-polymarket-legal-in-the-uk/): No. Polymarket holds no Gambling Commission licence, and its own geographic restrictions put the United Kingdom among the places where users can close existing positions but can't open new ones. Offering gambling to people in Great Britain without a licence is an offence, and so is advertising it. If you want to trade on elections or other events legally, licensed betting exchanges such as Betfair and Smarkets offer similar markets.
- [Do you pay tax on gambling winnings in the UK?](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/gambling-taxes-uk/): No. HMRC's position is that betting and gambling aren't a trade for the player, so winnings from casinos, bookmakers, exchanges and spread bets aren't taxed, and losses can't be deducted. Operators pay gambling duties instead: Remote Gaming Duty on online casino games rose from 21% to 40% of gaming profits on April 1, 2026, and a 25% rate of General Betting Duty applies to online bets, except on UK horse racing, from April 1, 2027.
- [Where to get help for gambling problems in the UK](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/gambling-help-uk/): Call the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, on 0808 8020 133: it's free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To block yourself from every online gambling site licensed in Great Britain at once, register with GAMSTOP for 6 months, 1 year or 5 years; it's free and can't be cancelled early. In England you can also refer yourself to an NHS gambling clinic, and in a crisis Samaritans answer on 116 123.