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Finding a new online casino or bingo site isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. Most players still start with a search engine, but results pages have become a battleground between licensed operators and reputable affiliates on one side, and those who don’t play by the rules on the other.
Then there’s social media, where players are inundated with ads from offshore brands promising seamless registration and huge deposit bonuses.
The lines between licensed and unlicensed brands have become dangerously blurred. A casual player can easily land on a site that looks entirely legitimate, then register, deposit and play without ever realising it isn’t licensed in the UK.
I’ve long argued that we, as an industry, haven’t done enough to explain what a licence actually means for players, or why it should be the single most important factor when choosing where to play.
What’s at stake for the player
So what does a player actually lose? A lot. A UKGC licence isn’t a badge; it’s a set of obligations an operator has to meet every day, and each one exists to protect the player.
On a licensed site, players can set deposit limits, take time out or join the national self-exclusion scheme and be blocked from every licensed operator at once.
Operators also have to check that players are of age, monitor for signs of harm and carry out affordability checks where spending raises concerns.
That’s not all – games are independently tested to make sure they are fair and pay out as advertised. Operators must also tell players how their funds are protected, and if a dispute can’t be resolved, players can take it to an approved independent adjudicator.
On an unlicensed site, none of that is guaranteed. There may be no limits, no checks and no one to turn to if winnings aren’t paid out or an account is closed without warning. If something goes wrong, the player is on their own.
And regardless of how large the black market actually is, every player who ends up on an unlicensed site loses protections they’re entitled to.
Why we’ve taken our message to TV
At Comparasino, we believe it’s vital to help players understand why they should only play at UKGC-licensed online casinos and bingo sites, and then give them plenty of options to explore based on their preferences.
Search remains an important channel for us, and we’re happy to compete with unlicensed brands there. But following a successful regional trial on ITVX, we’ve now taken our message to the big screen nationally, with a campaign running across Sky, Virgin and Freeview.
The ad opens with a line that sums up the problem I described earlier: “Trying to pick an online casino can feel like a real gamble”.
Our answer: we help players compare licensed online casinos, bingo sites and their offers all in one place, matching them with brands based on what matters to them, from bonuses and payment methods to mobile play.
Every match comes from a UKGC-licensed operator, and the ad says so, both in the voiceover and on screen. It closes on clear comparisons and trusted brands to help players make an informed choice: no spin, no pressure.
Players who join our Member Zone are also alerted as new licensed brands that suit them come on board, so they never need to go back to searching from scratch.
Why TV? Because it’s one of the few places unlicensed operators simply can’t reach. Every ad on UK television has to be cleared and comply with strict advertising codes, so the only gambling brands players see there are licensed ones.
That makes it a space where the regulated market can get its message across clearly. And it means millions of viewers are reminded that licensed is the place to start.
Reaching players there, with a recognisable comparison brand, gives them a trusted starting point before search results or social media put something else in front of them. It also helps us build a brand that players seek out directly, rather than one they stumble across.
Why we stand behind UKGC licensing
Our position is clear: we will only ever work with brands that hold an active UK Gambling Commission licence.
That’s not a box we tick when a partner signs up; it’s the foundation of everything we recommend. We regularly verify our partners’ licence status, and if a licence is ever suspended or lapses, that brand is removed from Comparasino with immediate effect.
Licensing is only part of the picture, though. We believe comparison sites have a responsibility to remind players what safer play looks like, and to help them spot the signs when it might be becoming a problem.
That commitment is visible throughout the Comparasino journey. Safer gambling messaging sits at the top of every page, not buried in the footer, and we give over significant space to additional prompts and information, both on the site and within our Member Zone.
Where we stand on advertising
Of course, we have a commercial interest in players signing up to online casinos and bingo sites through Comparasino. And we know gambling advertising is, rightly, under intense scrutiny.
That’s why our campaign was built carefully within the advertising codes, with clear 18+ messaging and safer gambling signposting, and why we support the regulatory framework. In fact, we’d welcome affiliates being required to hold their own licence. Our argument is about making the licensed market more visible, not about making regulation lighter.
When it comes to future policy, we’d simply ask that any changes consider where players go when licensed brands go quiet. Unlicensed operators don’t advertise on UK television. If the regulated market loses its voice on trusted platforms like broadcast TV, players don’t stop looking; they just hear less from the brands that can actually protect them.
A standard for the sector
Picking an online casino or bingo site shouldn’t feel like a gamble. But as long as licensed and unlicensed brands sit side by side in search results and social feeds, that’s exactly what it can be for many players.
The licensed market only wins that battle if it’s easier to find, easier to trust and easier to understand than the alternative. As an industry, we all have a part to play in that, from operators to comparison sites, and it starts with explaining clearly why a UKGC licence matters.
For comparison sites, the standard should be simple. Every affiliate in the UK market should be judged by one test: do you only send players to licensed sites? We do, without exception, and we’ll keep taking that message wherever players are, including the big screen.
