This guide is here to tell you all you need to know about playing online blackjack in the UK. Essential for getting a legal, safe and fun way to play this iconic card game.
Below you’ll find three great examples of blackjack sites you can trust. We’ll walk you through how to sign up to these sites and reveal the many blackjack games that you could be playing. Plus with some tips on the best bonuses to use, you can take your blackjack gaming to the next level.
All of the
best casino sites
will have plenty of games of blackjack for you to play. However, some of the sites are definitely better than others, and so here is a quick look at three of the best blackjack sites that you can play at right now:
Online casino
Blackjack games
Welcome offer
BetMGM
European Blackjack, First Person Blackjack, Cashback Blackjack, Multihand Blackjack, Lightning Blackjack
Wager £10 and get 200 bonus spins
Betfred
Betfred Blackjack One, Premium Blackjack, All Bets Blackjack, Super Card Blackjack, Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack Live
Wager £10 on slots and get up to 50 bonus spins
Dream Vegas
Bet Stacker Blackjack Live, Easy Blackjack Live, Speed Blackjack, Fun Fun 21 Live, Power Blackjack
100% deposit match bonus up to £300 and 150 bonus spins
BetMGM – Stunning Selection of Blackjack Variants
There are literally dozens of blackjack variants to enjoy at BetMGM. You will find plenty of first-person single-player blackjack variants that offer you a good way of getting your eye in. These include common variants like European Blackjack, although there are other options like Multihand Blackjack and Cashback Blackjack that offer fun ways to mix things up.
However things really get going over at the BetMGM live casino. This is because there are many MGM Exclusive games that are beamed in live from Las Vegas. These include top titles like Exclusive Sports Blackjack, MGM Exclusive Blackjack and Exclusive Free Bet Blackjack. Plus top gaming studios like Evolution and Playtech are on hand to serve up their dazzling live blackjack variants like Bet Stacker Blackjack and Super Card Blackjack Live.
While there aren’t too many blackjack-specific bonuses at BetMGM, the brand’s other casino bonuses are well worth a look. After all, you can sign up, make a £10 wager and get 200 bonus spins. Perfect for mixing things up before the next round of online blackjack.
Betfred – Yet More Online Blackjack Options
This bookie has been a fixture on the UK high street for decades, and it’s interesting to see that it’s just as good for online blackjack as it is sports betting. After all, the Betfred casino is home to pretty much all of the blackjack variants you could wish for.
Single-player options include the likes of Blackjack Switch and Blackjack Surrender, and there are even games like All Bets Blackjack that feature a massive progressive prize pool. The Betfred live casino is also packed with some interesting blackjack variants. You can start off by visiting the exclusive Betfred Blackjack One live dealer room, and it’s nice to find that the Betfred Blackjack Pit features games with varying minimum bet limits that go between just £1 up to £100.
Again, Betfred is a little lacking in bonuses that are specifically targeted towards online blackjack, but there is a handy bonus spins offer for new customers. Definitely worth a look if you want a solid introduction to what this legendary brand is all about.
Dream Vegas – Rising Start in the Online Blackjack
Sizeable welcome bonus
Mobile app
Various secure payment methods
No phone support
This relatively new online casino has made a solid start with a good collection of around 20 online blackjack games. Top single player options here include Evolution Gaming’s Power Blackjack and Blackjack First Person, while Adventures of Captain Blackjack from Just For The Win offers something completely different.
The Dream Vegas live casino is the main place that you’ll probably be going for your blackjack entertainment. After all, this is packed full of multiple variants ranging from simple options like Easy Blackjack Live through to Bet Stacker Blackjack Live, Bet Behind Pro Blackjack Early Release and Speed Blackjack.
Once more, there aren’t any blackjack-specific bonuses here but you can get your opening deposit doubled and then use it to play the card game with extra credit. Just note that wagering on blackjack with your bonus funds might not contribute too much towards clearing the wagering conditions.
Step by Step Guide for Playing at These Blackjack Sites
You should find that each of the above online casinos will give you a fast and stress-free way to get into the blackjack gaming action. After all, you won’t have to go through the hassle of downloading any software, but can simply play the games from the browser of your computer or mobile.
Here are the basic steps that you need to take to start playing online blackjack:
Tap on any of the links to the online casinos listed in the banners of this page to be taken to their sites from your web browser.
Hit the Sign Up or Register button and then fill in the registration form to create your customer account. This will usually ask you to submit basic personal details like your name, date of birth, email address and mobile number.
Enter in any promo codes required to activate your welcome bonus.
Submit your application and then verify your identity by submitting any required photo ID.
Log into your account, navigate to the cashier section and make an opening deposit with one of the accepted payment methods.
Go to the games lobby, click on the Blackjack tab and then browse to find your preferred blackjack variant
Click on the blackjack game to launch it from your web browser
Enter your stake and start playing
The Basics of Playing Online Blackjack
If you’re reading this then you will probably already know how to play blackjack. But just in case you are a total newbie, it’s a matter of getting a hand with a value of closer to 21 than the dealer. Each card will have its standard face value, apart from 10 for Jacks, Queens and Kings, and the Ace can either be a one or 11.
You start with two cards face up, and the dealer will have one face up and one face down. Then you get the option to ‘hit’ to have another card added to your hand, or ‘stand’ if you want to stick with what you’ve got. If your total hand value goes bust, you will lose the game, but if your hand value is higher than that of the dealer’s without going bust, you will win.
As such, we can see that playing blackjack is all about balancing the risk of going bust along with the potential reward of having one more card added that lets you get closer to 21. Check out this handy table that quickly outlines your chances of going bust depending on your current hand value:
Hit on
Chance of busting
21
100%
20
92%
19
85%
18
77%
17
69%
16
62%
15
58%
14
56%
13
39%
12
31%
11 or less
0%
Basic Blackjack Terminology
Like most casino games, blackjack has its own idiosyncratic jargon that you should get a basic grounding in before you start playing. So here are the most common blackjack terms that you’ll come up against:
Bust:
When the total value of your cards exceeds 21 and you lose the game
Double down: Double the total value of your bet
Hit:
When you ask for another card to be added to your hand
Insurance :
if the dealer is showing an ace, you get the chance to bet half of your stake to give yourself some insurance should the dealer get 21
Split:
This happens when you are dealt a pair and then you can split them into two separate hands
Stand:
When you stick with whatever cards you have in your hand and don’t ask for anymore
What We Look for in the Best Blackjack Sites
It’s not enough just for an online casino to put on a couple of blackjack games and leave it there. Instead, we check that each blackjack site listed here has the following features:
🃏 Different Variants of Online Blackjack
You should be able to play the classic game of 21, as well as variants like multihand blackjack, live blackjack, side bet blackjack and much more.
🎁 Generous Bonus Offers
Each online casino should have a variety of deals for new and existing customers that should be usable for blackjack gaming.
💸 Flexible Limits
You should be able to play each of the blackjack games without overreaching your means, and the site should contain a variety of responsible gambling tools to keep your online gaming in check.
📱 User-Friendly Sites and Apps
The casino site should be easy to navigate around and capable of handling even the most dynamic live blackjack action. Plus it’s nice to have a mobile app to give you an easy way to play from the small screen.
🔒 Trusted Payment Methods
You should be able to make swift and secure deposits with a range of trusted payment methods, and withdrawals should also be effortless and efficiently handled.
🤝 Responsive Customer Support
There’s every chance that you might need some help with your blackjack gaming, and this is why we’ve checked these sites to make sure that they have 24/7 customer support available via live chat, email and phone.
✅ UKGC Licensing
We only include those online blackjack sites that have the required UKGC licensing necessary to legally operate in the UK.
Finding Top Bonuses for Online Blackjack in the UK
While playing online blackjack is a whole lot of fun, it gets even more enjoyable when you play in conjunction with a bonus. Some online casinos will put on deals that are specific to certain blackjack games, but it’s more common to find bonuses that are usable across all of the games at the site. Here are some of the most common bonuses that you could use for your blackjack gaming:
Matched deposit bonuses:
Here you would get your qualifying deposit matched up to a certain amount in site credit.
Refund offers:
This is where you could get your net losses refunded up to a maximum value in promo credit.
Tournament challenges:
You might be invited to play a specific game and if you manage to get a high place on a leaderboard, you could take a share of a prize pool.
The key thing to do with these bonuses is to check the small print before you rush to claim them. After all, it’s common for casino offers to be unusable for blackjack gaming, and wagering on the game with your promo credit might not contribute towards clearing the wagering conditions.
Legal and Security Issues When Playing at Blackjack Sites in the UK
It’s always wise to take the time to research any
new UK online casino
to make sure that it will give you a legal and safe way to play online blackjack. Here are the main trust factors that we look out for before recommending any blackjack site to you:
🎫 Licensing
It’s essential that any online casino has licensing from the UK Gambling Commission if it wants to legally operate in the UK. If it doesn’t have such licensing, it should be avoided at all costs.
🔒 Security
Make sure that the blackjack site you are thinking of using has SSL-level encryption technologies and valid privacy policies to ensure that your data and deposits are securely handled.
Pros and Cons of Playing Online Blackjack Rather Than In-person
Most people will start out playing blackjack with friends before making the switch into the online domain. So why should you play blackjack at one of our featured online casinos? Here are the main pros and cons of doing so:
Pros and Cons
Enjoy more blackjack variants
Play from your own home
Get top casino bonuses
Play immersive live dealer games
Have to sign up to a casino site first
Conclusion – Have a Blast Playing at These Blackjack Sites
We’ve shown you that you face plenty of options when it comes to playing online blackjack in the UK. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering that blackjack is one of the most iconic card games and that the UK has an incredibly fertile online casino scene.
What’s remarkable here is just how creative developers are being in coming up with new and exciting variants of this classic game of 21. So be sure to register your account at one of these casino sites and enjoy the best in online blackjack.
Online Blackjack FAQ
You can play some online blackjack games in a demo mode and do it for free, but you obviously won’t be able to make any winnings. Plus some online casinos have occasional no deposit bonuses, but these are pretty hard to find and often are accompanied by tricky wagering conditions.
It’s hard to look beyond the fact that BetMGM has its own stunning live blackjack games that are beamed in from its MGM studios in Las Vegas. However, brands like Betfred and Dream Vegas can also be counted on for their quality live dealer blackjack games.
It kind of depends on what you are looking for, but we think that BetMGM, Betfred and Dream Vegas are up there with the best of them. After all, they are each packed full of multiple blackjack variants for every level of player.
Yes, it is, as long as you are over the age of 18 years. Plus you will have to be playing at an online casino that is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
Most of the casino sites in this guide will let you play their first-person blackjack games in a demo mode. This means that you will be playing with virtual currency and therefore any newbie mistakes won’t cost you a single penny.