By our definition, for a casino site to be called independent, there must be a unique owner and a UKGC licence. In other words, the casino in question cannot have any sister sites through its ownership, nor can it be operated under a white-label solution with a shared UKGC licence. By adhering strictly to these guidelines, you can find true independent casino sites.
There are quite a lot of independent casinos in the UK, relatively speaking anyway, and we have listed some of them below.
Noticed how we said "By our definition" earlier? Well, that's simply because the term independent can be a bit difficult to define at times. We outlined our requirements for it at the top of this page, but we just wanted to say a few words on the platform technology. As the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted, some of the sites in the list above use the same platform.
So, are they still independent? Yes, we believe so. As long as the sites have different owners and different UKGC licences, they are independent even if they share the same platform. Equally, a site can have a unique platform and not be considered independent.
If you're wondering why some want to find independent casinos, we have highlighted some pros below. We have also highlighted some cons, as there aren't only positives with independent sites.
Owner with a sole focus: It's never a bad thing for a company to focus solely on one site, as that tends to result in higher quality and dedication. Of course, there are exceptions to this (in both directions) but we're always intrigued when an owner only has one site.
No licence issues: Although white-label solutions can be very good, such as BV Gaming and its sites, punters can sometimes come across licence issues when signing up for those. This is something that independent sites avoid.
Often more niche: This might sound strange to name as a pro, but we actually feel that independent sites trump the network-powered ones in some instances. For example, Lottoland is the king of lotto and that is thanks to its niche focus from the start.
No 'network' benefits: Some of the major casinos, with Ladbrokes and Coral being good examples, often share beneficial promotions and game providers. The same goes for the LeoVegas-owned brands such as Pink Casino and LeoVegas itself.
Fewer payment methods: This isn't always the case, but we often find that sites part of bigger networks have more payment methods than independent sites. It's something to keep in mind as a general guideline, even if many independent sites have a good selection of methods too.
Legitimacy question: We must preface this by saying that there are several fantastic independent casino sites. Despite this, some players might have concerns about the safety and reputation of an independent brand, which is hard to get around if you're not a big one.
LottoGo might sound like a surprise choice here, but when you add the independent element to the equation, it makes perfect sense to us. The site was initially launched as World Lottery Club in 2012 and the owner, Annexio Limited, has no other commitments. Improvements have been made over the years and as things stand, it's a very good choice.
Isak is the editor-in-chief of Find Sister Sites, having taken an interest in how betting and casino sites are structured after testing many of them in his role as a gambling writer. At Find Sister Sites, he is responsible for identifying 'hidden' sister sites and keeping the content up-to-date.