When it comes to online gambling, British players have more options than ever. The choices can be overwhelming, from UK-exclusive casinos that cater to local tastes to international platforms that accept players from multiple countries. But do international casinos really offer a better experience, or is it just a case of clever marketing?
To investigate this further, we spoke with Ville Saari, Lead Content Manager at Bojoko.com, one of the UK’s most trusted casino comparison sites. He has spent years reviewing and verifying UKGC-licensed casinos and knows exactly what makes a casino stand out and where some brands fall short. According to him, while many international casinos might seem appealing on the surface, they don’t always deliver the level of service that UK players expect.
“We are really looking at two broad categories of international casinos. The huge international brands that have custom UK localisation and large resources and smaller brands that just get the UKGC license add a little extra effort and treat Britain as a small add-on. Advertising in the UK does not mean the same as investing or focusing on UK players.”
“They might have a generic UK-facing website, but if they’re not tailoring their game selection, payment options, or customer service to British players, then are they really providing the best experience?”
One of the biggest misconceptions Saari has noticed is that some think international casinos are always bigger and better. While some major global brands do invest heavily in their UK presence, others simply add British players to their list without truly optimising their platforms. This can lead to issues with customer support, game selection, and even withdrawal times.
“We see sites where customer service is not even operating during regular UK hours, or they don’t have the payment options that a huge number of British players prefer and expect, such as Paysafecard. With international casinos, it’s hit and miss—some will have familiar options, but others focus more on crypto or e-wallets that aren’t as popular with UK players.”
Saari is, however, quick to point out that UK-only casinos have many adjacent issues and that it should not be an obvious choice.
“UK-only casinos tend to have a better grasp of what British players want, but many can feel smaller in scale, with fewer games or less generous bonus offers. They may also not be as quick to import games popular in other markets, leading to less variety. Many UK-only casinos are also quite small and set up on white labels, giving them a rather generic and familiar experience. You can come across 10, 20, 30, or more casinos that are practically identical.”
Another issue that Saari highlights is that a UK-only casino does not mean that it is made by Brits or with people who are knowledgeable about Brits.
“We do see these UK-only casinos that feel like tourist adverts. Here’s Big Ben. Here’s a classic red telephone box. It can feel like trying to advertise to Mexicans by putting sombreros on everything. These brands can have the same issues as small international casinos, if not worse, as the user base and focus may be even smaller, giving the owners less reason to invest time and resources.”
According to Saari, the question of which is best depends on the individual casino. He highlights that Bojoko has a ranked list of international casinos that operate in Britain and that many of them are rated quite highly. He also adds that any brands listed on Bojoko, be they international or UK only, have to be tested and verified by their experts and licensed by the UKGC.
“Our job is to help players separate the great casinos from the ones that are just okay. We look at everything from payment options to mobile usability, customer service, and bonus fairness. Just because a casino has a UK license doesn’t mean it will provide the best experience, so we ensure players have all the information they need to choose wisely. This, again, goes for both UK-only and international brands.”
Written by Jennifer Carter
