There are several land-based casinos in and around Manchester, and they are all fully licensed to offer real money gambling services by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission – an independent non-departmental public body that is sponsored by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
This renowned authority is responsible for licensing and regulating the online and offline gambling industry in the UK.
Currently, you need to be at least 18 years old to play at a land-based casino in Manchester, and some of the best land-based casinos where you can play classic table & card games, slots, and more, are revealed right here.
What are the casino regulations in Manchester?
Everything comes under the watchful eye of the UK Gambling Commission – one of the most trusted online and offline gambling licensing authorities in the world. To play at a land-based casino in Manchester, you must be at least 18 years old, and to apply for a premise licence to operate a casino, you must also be at least 18. The same legal minimum age requirement applies across the entire UK.
You must also be authorised to apply for a premise licence if you are applying on behalf of a company or partnership, and you must hold or have applied for an operating licence from the UK Gambling Commission for the relevant gambling activity. The main forms of gambling activities that you can hold a licence for are categorised as the following:
- Adult gaming centres and family entertainment centres
- Betting track premises
- Betting track premises
- Betting other (betting shops)
- Bingo premises
- Casino premises (converted, large and small)
Gambling premises fees are attached to all of these different types of gambling activity licences, which include a new permit fee, a provisional statement fee, a licence following proof statement fee, an annual fee, a variation fee, a reinstatement fee, a change of details fee, and a copy of document fee. Additionally, there are also gambling permit fees attached. The exact cost of these fees varies slightly from one type of gambling licence to the next.
Top casinos to visit when you’re next in Manchester
If you live in the United Kingdom and you’re looking for a casino experience, but don’t have the time or the money to visit Las Vegas or Macau, then you may want to save a bit of cash and head to Manchester. The city has a great selection of casinos, and some of the best casinos in Manchester to visit before trying any others are the following:
- Manchester Casino 235 (aka Manchester 235)
- Grosvenor Casino Manchester
- Grosvenor Casino Soames
- Grosvenor Casino Didsbury
- Genting Club Manchester
All of these fantastic venues are controlled by reputable owners with proven track records, which means that they are all perfectly legit. They all offer a unique casino experience and a great atmosphere. You can also count on ample parking, friendly and professionally trained staff, and a wide range of games to choose from. They also have restaurants where you can eat and drink, and they are all set in fantastic locations that are easy to get to.
Many of these land-based casinos run the occasional tournaments and other special events at certain times throughout the year, and many of them also have some fantastic bonuses for new players and existing members to take advantage of. For a complete guide about legal gambling age requirements in the UK, you can visit several trusted sites, such as Ask Gamblers or the official UK Gambling Commission website.
Which is better, a land-based casino or an online casino?
For those of you who can’t easily get to any of these casinos, the next best alternative is to play at an online casino. Today’s best UK online casinos are also fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. They are free to sign up to, and they are also controlled by trustworthy operators.
Online casinos that accept real cash wagers from UK players are generally packed with 1,500 or more games to choose from, all of which have been developed and supplied to the casino by various leading online casino software providers, such as Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt, Red Tiger Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Play’n GO, Inspired Gaming, iSoftBet and Pragmatic Play, to name just a few top providers.
If you want to take your online casino experience to the next level, you need to check out the live dealer casino games. They are the closest thing to land-based casino games, and some of the best live dealer games out there today are from Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play. Don’t forget, when you sign up to a UK online casino, you can also claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus.
You can play at these casinos from any modern smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer that has internet/Wi-Fi, and you can deposit and withdraw at these sites using a wide range of popular UK online payment options, such as Visa and MasterCard (debit cards only), and e-Wallets, such as PayPal, Skrill, and NETELLER. The exact type of payment method you can use will vary from one online casino to the next. If you do play at a casino, always remember to gamble responsibly.