Nowhere does it like Las Vegas. Nothing will ever come close to the experience of going to Las Vegas and visiting one of the iconic casinos. It really is like nothing you can imagine until you’re there—the tall buildings, bright lights, and the Bellagio Fountains, it’s just out of this world.
But, and it’s a big but, it’s so expensive. The hotels, the food, the drinks, and taking money into the casino can add up to $$$$…$ (depending on how rich you are).
The city literally never sleeps and sees 46 million tourists annually, with 79% to 80% of them engaging in gambling (OreateAI, CDC Gaming). And in 2024, the iconic Strip managed to generate $8.8 billion in gaming revenue.
Across the pond is the UK, and whilst we can’t say that the iconic Blackpool lights and questionable backstreet casinos compete with Las Vegas, the online casinos are definitely trying.
Below, we’ll compare how online casinos in the UK compare to the Vegas experience.
Market Scale and Momentum
The latest report from the UK Gambling Commission industry stats is for the fiscal year April 2024 to March 2025. The report states that remote casino, betting, & bingo generated £7.8 billion in gross gambling yield (GGY), with online casino games at £5.0 billion and slots at £4.2 billion.
They’re really popular in the UK, with momentum continuously growing, with 14% of the population playing casino games monthly.
That said, it’s not Vegas, and we’re definitely not trying to say that it is, but because the iGaming market is regulated and legal in the UK, it definitely has enough attention to keep the market thriving.
The LVCVA Executive Summary for August 2025 reports 3,171,500 visitors in August 2025, with Las Vegas Strip gaming revenue reaching $679,361,000, working out to +5.5% year-over-year.
The difference is that the top casinos in the UK scale from phones, and Las Vegas scales from the sheer number of tourists, both global and from the rest of the US, that visit.
Regulation and Player Protection
Regulation and player protection are slightly different in the sense that you can gamble online in the UK from the minimum legal age of 18 in most cases. UK players can also self-exclude themselves from all GB-licensed online operators using GAMSTOP. The Gambling Commission explicitly points players to this scheme.
And more recently, the UK Gambling Commission published guidance on monitoring return to player (RTP) performance for slot games and any casino game functioning using RTP.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, the law makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to gamble, and that includes sports betting. Vegas relies more on venue controls, such as age enforcement and tightly managing the environment.
Promotions and Value
The UK Gambling Commission recently announced changes to gambling promotions with the aim of them being safer and simpler, including capping wagering requirements to 10x, a move that will be implemented from January 19th, 2026. The issue for online casinos is that they’ve historically competed heavily on welcome bonuses and reloads, but regulators are trying to push promotions toward clarity and lower friction.
Vegas competition, including rooms and shows, is still promotions, but they’re more likely to be framed as hospitality perks rather than bonus terms and wagering.
Vegas comps (rooms, food credits, shows) are still “promos,” but they’re often framed as hospitality perks rather than bonus terms and wagering.
Money and Taxes
Gambling winnings in the UK aren’t taxed, which might feel like a culture shock to our American friends who have their winnings taxed and reported to the IRS under IRS Topic 419. The IRS requires a 24% federal withholding rate on winnings over $5,000, or if winnings are at least 300 times the wager.
UK gamblers wouldn’t think about declaring any winnings because they simply don’t have to, and even if they go to the US and win over what the IRS requires US citizens to win before paying tax, they still wouldn’t have to pay tax because they’re not US citizens.
That said, it is difficult to win over $5,000, so it’s not like people in America are constantly paying taxes when all they’re trying to do is have some fun gambling.
Experience Design
When it all comes down to it, Vegas will give you an experience that no online casino can do. And it’s not like online casinos in the UK are trying to do that; they’re just trying to offer as many games as possible and keep people playing.
Some of the strengths of Vegas are:
- Atmosphere and sensory design
- Social proof
- Destination bundling: restaurants, clubs, pools, shows, and shopping, all in one place.
- Table culture: dealers, banter, tipping norms, rituals, and pace.
UK online strengths
- Convenience & frequency
- Game breadth
- Private pace control
- Tools & controls
Online casinos don’t exactly compare to the Vegas experience, but they’re at least fun. A lot of online casinos will be designed to mirror the bright lights of Vegas, and they’re definitely fun to play on, but that actual casino experience of Las Vegas is unmatched.