Getting started with online bingo in the United Kingdom is straightforward once you know what to look for. This guide walks you through a safe, compliant set-up in five simple steps, with clear checks for licensing, verification and safer-gambling tools built in.
Step 1: Choose a licensed UK bingo site
Always start by confirming the operator holds a Gambling Commission licence for Great Britain. Legitimate remote operators must display that they are licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission, show their account number, and link you to their licence status on the Commission’s Public Register. You can click through from the site’s footer to the Public Register entry, or search the Register directly by company name.
You must be 18 or over to gamble in Great Britain, including for online bingo. UK law and Commission guidance require operators to prevent underage gambling and to have processes in place to protect children and young people.
Step 2: Create your account and enter accurate details
When you register, you will be asked for personal information such as your name, address and date of birth. Since May 2019, licence conditions require online operators to verify identity information before a customer is permitted to gamble. The Commission’s rules also say operators must not delay withdrawals by requesting information they should reasonably have requested earlier.
Before you deposit, operators should inform you about the types of identity documents that might be required, the circumstances in which they would be required and how to provide them. This is set out in the Commission’s identity verification guidance for licensees.
Step 3: Complete identity checks promptly
To comply with UK rules, online bingo sites will ask you to prove who you are and that you are old enough to play. Typical documents include a passport or driving licence for photo ID, plus a recent household bill or bank statement for proof of address. The Commission’s public guidance confirms these examples, and reiterates that checks must be completed before you are allowed to gamble.
If the operator needs additional information, follow the instructions in your account area or help centre. The policy intent behind these checks is to keep gambling fair, prevent underage play and reduce fraud, which is why the requirements were strengthened from 2019.
Step 4: Set safer-gambling controls
Before you buy your first online bingo tickets, take a minute to set limits and session tools. UK-licensed sites must provide reality checks that remind you how long you have been playing, and remote operators provide time-out facilities and self-exclusion options. You can also use GAMSTOP to self-exclude from all online operators licensed in Great Britain with a single registration.
GAMSTOP is free and blocks access to GB-licensed gambling websites and apps for a period you choose. The Gambling Commission requires all online operators to participate in GAMSTOP, and provides up-to-date guidance on multi-operator and national self-exclusion schemes. You can register in a few minutes at the official site.
Step 5: Make a deposit and join your first room
Most UK bingo sites accept debit cards and a range of e-wallets. Credit cards cannot be used for gambling in Great Britain, including via e-wallets that are funded by credit cards, because of a national ban introduced in April 2020. Operators must ensure that any e-wallets they accept block credit-card funded gambling transactions.
Once your account is verified and funded, pick a bingo room and review the game rules and ticket prices before you buy. Online bingo in Great Britain must comply with the Commission’s Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards, including time requirements and reality checks that help you stay in control while you play.
Quick checklist for a smooth start
- Look for the Gambling Commission badge in the footer, then click through to the Public Register entry to confirm the licence.
- Register with your real name, address and date of birth so ID checks pass first time.
- Keep scans or photos of your passport or driving licence and a recent bill ready, in case manual verification is requested.
- Set a deposit limit, enable reality checks, consider time-outs, and know how to use self-exclusion tools such as GAMSTOP.
- Use a debit card or an e-wallet that does not allow credit card funding for gambling.
Safer play and support
If gambling stops being fun, help is available. GamCare’s service finder includes the NHS National Gambling Clinic, and the Commission lists advice and support routes for young people and adults. You can also combine self-exclusion with device-level blocking software if you need extra barriers.
Key sources for verification
- Licensing and checks: Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, identity verification rules, and the Public Register.
- Age requirement: Commission guidance and licensing-authority codes on protecting children and young persons, plus the Gambling Act framework.
- Safer-gambling tools: Remote technical standards on time requirements and reality checks, LCCP time-out and self-exclusion facilities.
- Self-exclusion: GAMSTOP official information and Commission guidance on multi-operator schemes.