by
Karl Johan Öhman
Last updated: September 11, 2023

Sister sites aren't necessarily a wrong choice, and they are certainly not a subpar choice. However, it's proven that after a while, your gaming experience will become all too familiar and "samey" if you always opt for related casinos. With independent online casinos, you won't experience this because independent casinos are entirely unique: you won't be able to replicate the casino experience anywhere else.

Best Standalone & Independent Casinos UK

Playojo
5/5
80 Free Spins on First Deposit
No Wagering Free Spins
  • No Wagering Bonuses
  • Trusted Platform
  • Fair Promotions
BeGambleAware® First deposit only. 50 Free Spins on the Book of Dead slot. Min deposit £10. Excl. new players in N.I. Each Free Spin valued at 10p. OJO’s Rewards and Game Play policy applies. 18+ T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Lottomart Games
4/5
100% up to £100
Free Lotto Bets!
  • Great for Slots
  • Unique Design
  • Trusted Platform
18+ New customers only. All new players can get a 100% deposit match bonus on your deposit, up to £100 - Deposit at least £10 and claim up to £100. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Fitzdares Casino
5/5
NEW! Welcome Bonus up to £100
  • New Casino Offer for October 2023!
  • Evolution Live Games
  • Popular UK Slots
New customers only aged 21+. Minimum deposit £10. Get a matched Casino Bonus up to £100, credited automatically after the deposit, credited within 24 hours. Casino Bonus and Spins expire in 7 days. Casino Bonus has a 40x wagering requirement. Additional T&Cs apply. Please bet responsibly. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Betfred Casino
5/5
Stake £10 Get up to 200 Free Spins
All Winnings Paid in Cash!
  • Trustworthy Casino Brand
  • Wager Free Bonuses
  • Sportsbetting, Bingo, Live Casino, Lotto + Available
18+ New Casino customers only. £/€10 min transfer & stake on Casino slots within 7 days. Max bonus 200 Free Spins on selected games. Free Spins expire after 7 days. iOS app restrictions may apply. E-Wallet & Pre-Paid card restrictions apply. SMS validation may apply. Not available in NI. Full T&Cs apply. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Bucky Bingo
4/5
Deposit £10 To Get a 200% Bonus Up to £100
20 Bonus Spins On Starburst
  • Trusted Bingo Brand
  • Generous Welcome Bonus
  • Free Bingo Rooms
1st depositors 18+ customers only. £10 min deposit. 200% deposit match Bingo Bonus [BB], up to £100. BB plus deposit amount must be wagered 4x. 20 Free Spins [FS] can be used on Starburst and are valued at 10p per spin. FS winnings granted as Games Bonus that must be wagered 99x. FS available for 3 days. Games Bonus win cap of £100 plus the original bonus amount. Wagering contributions vary by game. UK only – deposit balance available for withdrawal at any time. General withdrawal restrictions apply. Eligibility restrictions, country restrictions General withdrawal restrictions & Full T&C’s apply. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Rolletto Casino
5/5
Welcome Bonus Package to to £6,000
Bitcoin Bonuses, Sports Betting Offers
  • Crypto/BTC Casino
  • 100+ Game Providers
  • Sports betting / Esports Betting Available
The minimum deposit eligible for the Bonus is 20€/$. Casino Bonus applies for the Slot games. Bonus will be credited to your account immediately after your first deposit. Then you should activate the bonus manually. (You should activate the bonus first and then play casino, otherwise, you will not get the bonus). You can only benefit from this bonus once and only on your first deposit. This Bonus cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Casino Bonus and Deposit are subject to wagering requirements of thirty (30) times deposit plus bonus amount. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Love Casino
5/5
400% up to £4,000 Welcome Bonus
125 Free Spins (USE CODE: LOVESTAR)
  • Massive Welcome Bonus (+ 4 Reloads)
  • Great Library of Games
  • New Casino Brand for 2023
100 Free spins + 400% up to £4000 minimum deposit: £20. Wager: x50 Bonus. Valid until: 31.12.2023. One bonus per person. Free Spins are available on: the Wolf Gold slot. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Jackpot.com
4/5
Deposit £15 & Get 50 No Wager Free Spins
Keep What You Win On Bigger Bass Bonanza Slot
  • Wager Free Sign Up Bonus
  • Great for Slots & Live Casino
  • World Lottery Betting
This one-time offer is only available here for new UK customers of Jackpot.com. To participate a minimum £15 bet is required. Any terms not specified in these Special Promotional Terms, the Promotional Terms shall apply and will be subject to Jackpot.com Terms and Conditions. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
The Pools Casino
5/5
Deposit & Stake £20 & Get 300 Free Spins On Reel LinKING Slot
WAGERING FREE - Keep What You Win!
  • Excellent Bonuses & Offers
  • Iconic UK Brand
  • Amazing Wager-Free Sign Up Bonus
Deposit & Stake £20 & Get 300 Free Spins On Reel LinKING Slot New Players. Opt-in required. Deposit & Stake £20 on casino slots and receive 300 Free Spins on Reel Linking. Qualifying players will have the Free spins credited to their account the following day by 5pm. Certain payment methods excluded. Free Spins expire 7 days after award. This offer is only available to new customers. This promotion is valid from 00:01 on 01/05/2022 until further notice. 18+ UK Only. Full T&Cs apply. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Captain Cooks Casino
4/5
100 Chances To Win The Mega Moolah Jackpot
Daily Promotions Calendar
  • Mega Moolah Welcome Bonus
  • Long-Running Casino: Established 2003
  • Full Microgaming Library
Welcome Offer Is For New Customers Only. The Minimum First Deposit Required Is £5, For All Subsequent Deposits The Minimum Deposit Is £10. The 100 Chances Are Credited As A £25 Bonus And Players Can Wager 100 Times At £0.25 On The Mega Moolah Slot Machines. A Two Hundred Times Wagering Requirement Applies On All Bonuses And Certain Games Contribute A Different Percentage To The Wagering Requirement. See T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Mr Q Casino
5/5
Spend £20 Get 70 Spins On Fishin' Frenzy Jackpot King
Use Code: FISHKING70
  • Wager Free Bonuses ONLY!
  • Huge Game Choice
  • Friendly, Customer First Casino
First deposit only. Min deposit & spend £20. Max 70 spins on Fishin Frenzy Jackpot King at 10p per spin. Spins credited upon spend of £20. Full T&Cs apply. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
BetCoco
5/5
Welcome Bonus up to £3,000 (Over 3 Deposits)
75 Free Spins & Up To 20% Cashback
  • Mammoth Welcome Bonus + Cashback
  • Well Designed Casino With Top Games
  • Sports Betting & Live Casino Available
First Deposit Bonus - 100% up to £1,000 + 50 Free Spins on Gates of Olympus, Second Deposit Bonus - 100% up to £1,000 + 25 Free Spins in Sweet Bonanza. Third Deposit Bonus - 100% up to 1,1000. New players only. Full terms and conditions apply. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Mr Sloty Casino
5/5
Welcome Bonus 200% up to £2,000
120 Free Spins: Use Code: 400P120
  • Humungous Welcome Bonus
  • Great Design
  • Crypto Accepted
New customers only. Bonuses are subject to a play-through requirement of 50x the value of the bonus. Only slot games can be used to complete the play-through requirement of the bonus unless stipulated otherwise in the promotions’ terms and conditions. Participation in any promotion is subject to acceptance of the casino's full Terms & Conditions. 18+ T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD
Jazz Casino
4/5
200% Welcome Bonus
100 Free Spins
  • Solid Casino With a 10+ Year History
  • Generous Bonuses
  • Casino Games & Sports Betting Available
The Free Spins are divided throughout your 1st five days after your deposit. You are entitled to 20 Free Spins (upon request) during the next 4 days until reaching the full 100 total Free Spins. Deposit of £25 minimum to claim this promo. The maximum amount that can be awarded as a bonus is £2,000. The maximum amount released for this bonus is £2,500. Standard rollover rules apply which take into account the deposit + bonus. Customer must request their bonus after making their first deposit. T&C Apply | BeGambleAware #AD

The Difference Between Independent Casinos & Sister Casinos

There are not as many independent casinos as there are related sister casinos. The reason is that related sister casinos are easier to establish and are much less costly than starting an independent casino site. For example, many related casinos, such as those using the same casino platform, are white-label casinos. This means they will share many, if not all, of the same fundamental features except for their logo, brand name and website design. Underneath it all, they are exactly the same.

For casino operators wanting to launch a cost-effective, out-of-the-box casino (also known as a turnkey solution), they will start their brand on a network that provides everything to them for a fee. This means everything will be taken care of, from the website design, customer service centre, payment solutions and even dictate the games that will be available. The brand owners need only worry about marketing and ensuring they get customers through the door; everything else will be covered "in-house" by the casino platform. It's a great system that works very well for casino entrepreneurs who want to start a casino but don't want to create everything from scratch.

You may already know of some leading platform turnkey providers: Aspire Global, L&L Europe, Jumpman Gaming, Grace Media, Progress Play and SkillOnNet - we're confident that you would have at least played at one of 2 of their casinos already, such as Mr Play, Pub Casino, Playojo, Spin Rio and Vegas Land to name but a few. Generally, as a rule of thumb, online casino companies only getting started in the gambling industry will launch their first brands on white-label casino platforms. Building your first casino site from the ground up is rare due to the cost and expertise required -although not unheard of.
 

What Is An Independent "Stand Alone" Casino?

Independent casinos are the exact opposite of sister casinos. Also known as standalone casinos, independent casinos are those that run everything themselves from the ground up. This means everything from the execution of the website to gaining their own gambling license (which is a mammoth task in itself!) to running their own in-house customer service and payment solutions. The list goes on, and we're sure you get the point.

The quality of an independent casino will be high because only the most serious, financially stable gaming companies opt to start standalone casinos. Hence, there are fewer independent casino sites to choose from. However, the result of all the extra costs and hard work pays off. Independent casinos will offer an experience no one else does.

Independent casinos essentially have more control over their content - they can choose to add game providers they see fit, offer bonuses they want, and provide top-class customer service - they have control over every situation. Of course, the owners of independent casinos do, after some success, see the benefit of the hard work of starting a standalone casino - they see larger profits.

Whilst the whole process of running a standalone UK casino is risky - if they do the job well and the casino is a success, they'll get a much larger share of the pie than they would have if they opted for a cheaper white-label solution. 

💡 Whilst sister casinos are easier and cheaper to set up, the downside is profit margins. When you factor in bonus costs, hefty fees to the platform provider, payment solution costs, and everything else for the privilege of a platform doing everything for you, the profit margin is far lower for sister brands than what independent casinos see.

Benefits & Disadvantages of Independent Casinos

As highlighted, one of the significant benefits of playing at independent casino sites is their ability to provide a unique gaming experience. Below, we look at the main benefits and disadvantages of joining a standalone UK casino. As you can see, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages!

Benefits of Independent Casinos

  • Demo Play Options: Although demo/fun play is a widely available feature, not all sister casinos offer this option to UK players. Independent casinos tend to be able to provide this option as they know many punters enjoy playing demo slots.
  • Unique Branding & Website Design: There are no restrictions placed on independent casino operators because, essentially, they are designing and funding the whole concept themselves. This means plenty of scope and poetic license. Most independent casinos will offer a one-of-a-kind website and mobile design, not a cookie-cutter style you see with many related casinos. Independent casinos can play around with gamification and other unique ideas, making them novel, too.
  • Unique Bonuses & Marketing Campaigns: Just because it's a casino with no sister casinos doesn't mean it is a small operation that doesn't think outside the box - on the contrary, for that matter. Most casinos with no sister sites will often go that extra mile or three to really excel in being the best standalone casino for all the right reasons - including eye-catching TV commercials, spectacular on-site promotions, VIP programs and much more.
  • No Account Limits: Independent casinos can be more flexible with payments and don't necessarily place limits on your wagers and deposits/withdrawals. Note, though, that if you are playing at an independent casino licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the casino must legally place limits in line with their licensing obligations and anti-money laundering policies
  • Fast Withdrawals/Cashouts: One way independent online casinos can stand out is to offer fast cashouts. Many people search for the fastest-paying online casinos because they dislike waiting for their winnings. Because independent casinos have more control over their banking solutions because, again, they do everything in-house, and they can choose how fast they pay you. Standalone casinos often ensure you are paid as soon as possible because it's one way to stand out and separate the experience from the rest.

Disadvantages of Independent Casinos

  • Not linked to GamStop: A standalone casino may not be part of the effective Gamstop program. An excellent standalone casino will, however, provide you with enough in-account tools and safety measures to keep you in control of your gambling.
  • Limited Banking Methods: Independent platforms might not have many payment methods available. This usually has a lot to do with cost. It costs a lot to implement payment solutions, so independent casinos may choose their top choices, whereas sister casinos already have them built in and ready for everyone to use.

Game Providers at Independent Casinos

Independent online casinos offer a comprehensive variety of casino game suppliers. These game suppliers provide games that are tailored to the needs of the independent online casino. On average, casinos with no sister sites work with a smaller number of software providers, but they usually focus on quality over quantity. They may have fewer games, but all the games they do have in their portfolio are the best you can play.

Depending on the casino, you could find games from popular gaming providers like Pragmatic Play, Play 'N Go. Nolimit City, Microgaming, NetEnt, Relax Gaming, Thunderkick, Elk Studios, and many more (see below for our recommendations on the best casino software providers. The games from these providers often feature unique graphics, amusing gameplay, and a wide range of themes - sometimes branded themes based on movies, rock bands or TV shows. Players can also expect access to some of the most popular titles in the industry, as well as exciting new releases every week.

Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play80%
  • Trusted Supplier
  • Drops & Wins Games
  • Widely Available
Read review
Microgaming
Microgaming100%
  • First Casino Software Company
  • Record Breaking Jackpots
  • Superior Quality
Read review
Playtech
Playtech98%
  • 20+ Years Established
  • Huge Jackpots
  • Branded Games
Play N Go
Play N Go90%
  • Widely Available
  • Frequent New Titles
  • Innovative Company
Read review

Choosing The Best Independent Casinos 2023

Whilst there's far less choice if you're seeking to play at independent casino sites, there still are a fair few to choose from. Finding the perfect one to suit your requirements needn't be hard work - that's what the team at iGamblingSites.com are here for! Above, we've listed the best independent casinos of October 2023. Every casino has been checked to ensure they really are standalone and offer that distinctive casino experience that you won't find at any other online casino.

It's a lengthy process when we review casinos; it takes a team member a few days to test everything out and get together a report. Those casinos that make it on our approved list will get their own review in our casino reviews section and will be recommended to our readers. Like the independent casinos above, they have also been put through the wringer - and have passed the test.

We wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some tips on finding the best independent casinos so you'll never have trouble finding an appropriate site that is safe and trustworthy:

Casino Licensing

Always check a casino's licensing to ensure it's legal and legitimate. Most standalone casinos will apply for their own licenses and display their license information in the footer of their website. We strongly urge you not to play at unlicensed casinos, as you have far less protection if anything goes sour.

Games & Slots

Most new independent casinos aim to offer as many game choices as mainstream casinos; however, for obvious reasons, it is much harder for independent casinos to provide as much choice. If you enjoy playing specific games, ensure the casino with no sister sites has it. Also, we recommend checking that the independent casino always adds fresh new games on a weekly basis.

Casino Bonuses & Free Spins 

If you plan to use a casino bonus, check it out before you play. Not all casino bonuses are as good as they look. Always check the wagering requirements and avoid anything over x 50. Also, it's a good idea to check the maximum cash-out amount too. If you win, your winnings may be capped because you used the bonus, so ensure no small caps are in place. Also, we recommend checking the terms in case there are restricted games. The best casino bonuses are fair, such as those we've listed at the best independent casinos above.

Customer Support

Customer support should be 24/7 and comprehensive; just because a casino is independent doesn't mean it can cut corners. Have a look and make sure the casino you have in mind offers 24/7 live chat, email support and, for a bonus point - telephone support. You'd be surprised to find that some leading casinos do not provide 24/7 support, and waiting a few hours to answer your questions can be frustrating.

Takeaway

Overall, picking a new independent casino to play at should not be too much hard work, but doing a little bit of research before you decide could really impact your experience from a good experience - to the best experience. To save you the time and trouble of knowing where best and safest to play, we recommend trying the best new independent casinos the team have picked out for you and listed above.

New Independent UK Online Casinos October 2023

Independent Casino Why We Like ItRead Our Review
Lottomart
  • Great for mobile users - Lotto and Slots
  • Top sign Up Bonus
  • 100% Independent
Lottomart Review
Rolletto
  • 3,000+ Casino Games, Slots & Poker
  • Generous Sign Up Bonus/ Welcome Offer
  • 100% Independent & Unique Style
Rolletto Casino Review
Jackpot.com
  • No Wager Bonuses Available
  • Totally Unique & Independent UK Casino
  • Lotto Betting, Casino & Slots
Jackpot.com Review
Fitzdares Casino
  • Unique Standalone Casino & Bookie
  • One of a Kind Betting & Casino Product
  • Traditional and Luxury 
Fitzdares Casino Review

Independent UK Casino & Slot Sites FAQs

We hope this page about UK independent casinos has helped you understand what an independent casino is and how they differ from sister casinos. Below, we've added some extra points on the topic in the guise of frequently asked questions. These are questions we find other real money casino customers asking, so you're not alone if you're thinking them too!

    Are Independent Casinos Safe & Secure?

    Yes, they are as long as they are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority (or any approved licensing body, for that matter - though the UKGC is regarded as the best). Also, safe, independent casinos use SSL encryption technology on their website so that your personal and financial details are safe and kept locked away from any would-be hackers. The independent, standalone casinos and slot sites that are promoted here on iGamingSites.com are recommended because they are proven to be safe and legitimate.

    What Is The Best Independent Casino That Accepts PayPal?

    I Want To Find A One of A Kind Online Casino - Where's Best?

    What Does "Casinos With No Sister Sites" Actually Mean?

    Which Are The Newest Independent Casinos In The UK?

 

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