The questions worth answering properly
The homepage covers the basics. This is the longer version — bonuses and wagering, staying safe, and how we put the comparison together.
Bonuses & wagering
How do I work out what a welcome bonus is really worth?
Start with the wagering requirement, not the headline. Multiply the bonus by the figure attached to it — a £50 bonus at 30x means £1,500 of bets before you can withdraw winnings. Then check which games count: slots usually contribute 100%, live tables and table games often 10% or less, so a bonus you intend to use on blackjack can be far harder to clear than it looks. Last, find the time limit; a tight deadline can make a large bonus impossible to finish.
What does 'wager-free' actually mean, and is MrQ really like that?
Wager-free means winnings from a bonus or free spins are paid as real cash with no playthrough attached — what you win, you can withdraw. MrQ built its brand on this and applies it across its offers, which is genuinely unusual in the UK market. It's the main reason it sits near the top of our newcomer pick: there's simply less small print to get caught out by.
Are free spins ever truly free?
The spins themselves cost you nothing, but what you win from them usually does carry conditions. At most operators, free-spin winnings convert to bonus funds with their own wagering attached, plus a cap on how much you can keep. The exception is the wager-free model, where spin winnings are cash. Always read whether the spins create a bonus balance or a withdrawable one.
Why don't you show the exact bonus amounts on every operator?
Promotions change often and vary by region and the day you arrive, so a precise figure quoted here would frequently be out of date or simply wrong for you. We describe the type of offer instead — wager-free spins, a deposit bonus, a spins package — and point you to read the live terms on the operator's own page. That keeps this site honest rather than a snapshot of last month's promo.
Safety & licensing
How do I know a casino is properly licensed in the UK?
Search it on the Gambling Commission's public register at gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Every operator we list is on it. A UKGC licence isn't a formality — it forces age and identity verification, separation of customer money, and built-in tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion. A site that takes UK players without that licence is operating illegally and gives you none of those protections.
What is GAMSTOP and how does it work?
GAMSTOP is the UK's free national self-exclusion scheme. You register once, choose a period of six months, one year or five years, and every UK-licensed operator is required to block your account for that time — it's not something each casino does separately. It's the most effective single step if you want to stop completely, because it covers the whole regulated market at once. You can sign up at gamstop.co.uk.
Can I set limits without excluding myself entirely?
Yes. UK-licensed casinos must offer deposit limits, and most also provide loss limits, session reminders and time-outs — short cooling-off breaks of a day up to six weeks. These are designed to be set before you need them, not after. If you'd rather a full break across all sites, that's where GAMSTOP comes in.
About this site
How does Play Ledger Room actually make money?
Through affiliate commission. If you follow a link to an operator and later open an account, we may be paid a referral fee by that operator. It costs you nothing and doesn't change the odds, the bonus or your experience. Crucially, it doesn't buy a better verdict — the scores follow our criteria, and we explain the full relationship on the affiliate disclosure page.
Does paying you push an operator up the rankings?
No. The order and the one-word verdicts come from the eight criteria we apply to everyone — licence, game range, live casino, mobile, studios, how the welcome offer is built, support and usability. An operator that pays more commission doesn't move up; if anything we're upfront when a brand's offer is weaker than its marketing suggests.
Can you help me with a withdrawal or a locked account?
No, and we don't have any access to operator systems. We're an independent comparison site, not a casino, so anything about your account, a payment or a bonus has to go to that operator's support team. If a licensed operator won't resolve a complaint, you can take it to its alternative dispute resolution provider and, ultimately, the Gambling Commission.
Still stuck on something? Our contact page explains what we can and can't help with, and the safer-gambling page lists free support if you need it now.