MrBen Casino – Screenshot courtesy of MrBen Casino
Casinos like MrBen, which operate under UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) licenses, are among the safest online gambling platforms in the world. It’s because of the stringent regulatory framework that the UKGC expects its licensees to follow. It’s great from a player fairness, safety and security angle, but there are downsides too.
In this review, we investigate UKGC-licensed online casinos like MrBen and discuss the pros and cons that holding this license entails.
What We Know About MrBen Casino
MrBen Casino is owned and operated by White Hat Gaming. It’s one of White Hat’s newer platforms, having been founded in 2025. It operates under two licenses: one from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and one from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). MrBen is a global brand but offers its services on a regional basis, meaning that the individual components of its offer can change from country to country.
Some casinos like MrBen, but not all, offer the full online casino package. By this, we mean they offer traditional casino games, including slots and table games, plus a live casino platform and a sportsbook. MrBen offers the full package.
MrBen Casino offers a rich choice of casino games. It comprises:
- 3014 Slots.
- 106 Live Dealer Games.
- 36 Blackjack.
- 17 Roulette.
- 4 Baccarat.
- 2 Sic Bo.
- 3 Poker.
- 10 Game shows.
In addition to its casino games, the MrBen platform also offers a sportsbook which covers the full spectrum of different sports markets. These markets cover a multitude of sports from football and basketball to eSports and live racing. Some sportsbooks at casinos like MrBen, and indeed MrBen in particular, allow you to place both pre-match and in-game bets.
The MrBen UK Casino Welcome Bonus – UK vs Non-UK
If you compare the screenshot immediately above to the one beneath the title at the top of the page, you’ll see a big difference. The MrBen UK Welcome Bonus (immediately above) offers up to £100 plus 500 loyalty points, whereas the MrBen non-UK Welcome Bonus shown at the top of the page offers a 300% match up to €1,500 plus 50 Free Spins. The latter offer appears to be much more generous and is therefore much more tempting. However, the UK bonus’s wagering requirement is only 10x, while the non-UK bonus’s wagering requirement is 55x.
BETFRED Casino – 1 of 3 Casinos Like MrBen Operating Under a UKGC License
BETFRED is another one of the casinos like MrBen that operates under 2 online casino gambling licenses, in this case, a UKGC license and an MGA license. The BETFRED brand has been around for over 50 years. It started life in the UK as a chain of land-based bookies, before launching its online presence as a virtual casino in 2004. BETFRED now has operations in 10 States in the USA, as well as a casino and sportsbook in South Africa.
You can find out more about BETFRED by reading Casino-Grading’s comprehensive casino review, but here in this article, we are focusing on the platform’s dual licensing and what it means for UK-based and non-UK-based players.
As with some other sites like MrBen, BETFRED uses its dual licensing to be able to offer different welcome bonuses to UK-based players and non-UK-based players (in this instance, players in South Africa). It allows the casino to get the best of both worlds.
In one instance, it grants the platform access to the UK online gambling market (via its UKGC license), which is the biggest online gambling market in the world. But it comes with strict regulations, including low wagering. On the other side of the coin, it enables BETFRED to access the South African market (via its MGA license), where, instead of the 200 Free Spins available in the UK, 750 Free Spins can be gained in SA.
This is not the only example of MrBen and other sites like MrBen appearing to penalise players based in the UK. GDay Casino does something similar, too.
The GDay Casino Welcome Bonus – UK vs Non-UK
GDay Casino is another of the casinos like MrBen that offers different welcome bonuses to UK versus non-UK-based players.
The GDay UK Casino Welcome Bonus
The GDay UK welcome bonus is a real money deposit bonus. However, unlike the non-UK welcome bonus, it isn’t matched with bonus money courtesy of the House.
The UK welcome bonus runs for 2 weeks from day one. You are awarded points for each £1 you spend on certain games. You can collect between 10 and 2,000 points. Your first 10 points grant you 5 Free Spins on the Eye of Horus slot. The more points you gather, the more Free Spins you’re given on different slots. You can check out the progression table here. You can win up to 500 Free Spins and Superspins, and they are wager-free.
The GDay Non-UK Casino Welcome Bonus
Most online casinos like MrBen offer seemingly more generous matched real money welcome bonuses to players not in the UK. The House matches each deposit by a varying percentage. In this case, the GDay non-UK welcome bonus offers a 200% match up to €500 plus 50 Free Spins. This offer carries a 35x wagering requirement.
But if you check out the bonus terms and conditions, you’ll see that players from Great Britain are excluded and cannot claim this deal.
Online Casino Jurisdictions and Country Restrictions
Online gambling is a worldwide phenomenon. However, in some countries, online gambling is completely legal, whereas in others it is totally illegal. Then there are countries which fall somewhere in between.
The problem is that because most sites like MrBen operate over the internet, anyone can access them from anywhere. Each country has its own approach, rules, regulations and guidelines, which means that players can be unwittingly putting themselves in danger of breaking the law, or being exposed to unfair gaming, or fraudulent activity. This is why online gambling jurisdictions and licensing agencies were created.
Online gambling jurisdictions are countries, states, provinces, or autonomous regions that designate agencies with the legal power to oversee and regulate internet-based gambling activities within their borders. They set the rules by which online casinos can obtain and operate legally under their licenses.
We here at Casino-Grading are particularly mindful of player safety and security, and your access to fair gaming principles. It’s why we conduct honest, independent, deep-dive online casino reviews, which you can access to find out all about casinos like MrBen, the licenses under which they operate, and the jurisdictions within which they are legal.
As mentioned at the outset of this review, the most respected license across the industry is the one issued by the UK Gambling Commission. Any online casinos like MrBen that offer their services in the UK, irrespective of whether the casino is based locally or overseas, must have a UKGC license to fully comply with the gambling laws in Great Britain. But this only applies to the casinos themselves.
Players based in the UK are free to choose between UKGC and offshore-licensed gambling platforms. But it’s important to check out the terms and conditions that casinos like MrBen impose, as some don’t accept players based in the UK.
Using a VPN Doesn’t Always Work
Even if you’re a UK-based player and you use a VPN to disguise your location, you could still be in for an unpleasant surprise. Some online gambling sites like MrBen that ban UK players, allow you to initially register with minimum details such as your name, and email address.
In these instances, using a VPN to disguise your location will enable you to register, deposit money, and play. The problem arises when you’re asked to complete your registration as part of the casino’s KYC process. For example, when you came to withdraw any winnings. You’ll be asked to provide proof of your address, and this is where you’ll come unstuck. If you are caught in this manner, any funds in your player account will be confiscated.
The other thing about VPNs is that some casinos like MrBen can detect them, and if this is the case, you’ll be prevented from accessing the platform.
The Pros and Cons of a UKGC Gambling License
If a UKGC online gambling license is so highly respected throughout the industry, it’s logical to wonder why all online casinos don’t operate under them. While the positives are well known, there are several negatives that online casinos like MrBen have to take into consideration. The pros and cons are shown in the table below.
| Pros of Holding a UKGC Gambling License | Cons of Holding a UKGC Gambling License |
| Moderate cost. | Each gambling niche requires a license. |
| Engenders complete trust from players. | Wagering is capped at 10x. |
| Access to the biggest online casino market. | Cannot accept cryptocurrency. |
| Accepted in most jurisdictions. | Application process takes up to 16 weeks. |
| Stringent operator restrictions imposed. |
The pros and cons shown above are from the viewpoint of the operator.
Let’s now look at the UKGC online gambling license from the player’s point of view.
The UKGC License from the Player’s Viewpoint
We’ve already mentioned it multiple times, but since it is so important, it’s worth repeating. The UKGC online gambling license gives players complete confidence and trust in casinos like MrBen that hold it.
The UK Gambling Commission sets out to ensure that players get a fair deal and that casinos don’t profit excessively at players’ expense. In practical terms, any wagering is restricted to a maximum of 10x. Wagering timelines are extended. Minimum deposit amounts are lowered, as are minimum withdrawal amounts.
The non-acceptance of cryptocurrencies is another fair play initiative. The reason behind this is that the value of various cryptocurrencies in relation to fiat money can swing wildly overnight. If it swings in the wrong direction, you will find that funds in your player accounts have been significantly devalued or decimated in one fell swoop.
The other thing that the UKGC focuses on is trying to prevent players from gambling responsibly. The underlying principle here is that you should never gamble more than you can comfortably afford to lose. With this in mind, credit cards can all too easily undermine this principle. They allow you to gamble on credit, and with this play-now, pay-later mindset, you can unwittingly run up a large debt that will become difficult or impossible to pay.
Are The Welcome Bonuses Offered by Casinos Like MrBen Worth It?
Fairspin Casino – Screenshot courtesy of Fairspin Casino via Casino Trading
One of the biggest debates concerning generous-looking welcome bonuses centres on wagering. Most sites like MrBen impose wagering requirements on their matched deposit welcome bonuses. Take a look at the screenshot above showing the Fairspin casino welcome bonus. It promises you up to €10,000 in bonus money. This is how it works:
- Make a 1st Deposit and get a 200% match up to €2,500 plus 50 Free Spins.
- Make a 2nd Deposit and get a 125% match up to €2,500 plus 50 Free Spins.
- Make a 3rd Deposit and get a 125% match up to €2,500 plus 50 Free Spins.
- Make a 4th Deposit and get a 100% match up to €2,500 plus 50 Free Spins
The minimum amount for each deposit is €20. The House will then award you a bonus money match according to the percentage shown. So, for a 1st deposit of €20, the House will award you a 200% match, which means you get a €40 bonus, giving you €60 in total to play with, etc.
It sounds extremely generous. But there is a drawback, and that drawback is the wagering requirement.
Wagering Requirements
A wagering requirement (sometimes referred to as a play-through or rollover requirement) means having to deposit and bet the value of any bonus money you receive a specific number of times before you can make any withdrawals from it. Wagering might only apply to bonus money, but sometimes it can also apply to deposit money, too, which is why it’s always important to read and understand bonus offer terms and conditions.
Whether welcome and reload bonuses offered by online casinos like MrBen are worth claiming is a personal choice. It really all depends on an individual player’s awareness and understanding of casino bonus terms and conditions (being aware that bonus T&Cs differ from a casino’s general T&Cs), how much money you are prepared to spend on gambling, and your attitude towards gambling responsibly.
Don’t forget that if you do claim bonuses that have wagering requirements, any winnings you might make while attempting to meet the wagering requirements are not themselves subject to further wagering.
Casinos Like MrBen Reviewed by Casino Grading
MrBen is one of the casinos that operates under a UK Gambling Commission online casino license. There could be more, but many casinos like MrBen don’t apply for this specific license because of the limits the Gambling Commission imposes on its licensees. The 10x maximum wagering requirement and the non-acceptance of cryptocurrencies are the two most common reasons that many sites like MrBen operate under less stringent licenses. The UKGC-licensed casinos that Casino Grading has reviewed to date are shown below. They are all deep-dive reviews that leave no stone unturned. They include:
- BETFRED. Operates under 2 casino licenses – UKGC and Gibraltar.
- GDay Casino. Operates under 2 casino licenses – UKGC and MGA.
- Genting Casino. Operates under 2 casino licenses – UKGC and MGA.
If you would like information about any aspect of the 3 casino brands mentioned above, click on the appropriate casino name to be transported to the Casino-Grading deep-dive review for that particular platform.
We have also reviewed Trada Casino, but this platform has recently closed down.
Concluding Thoughts on The Pros & Cons of UK Gambling Commission Licenses Used by Casinos Like MrBen
UKGC online casino gambling licenses work well, both for the casinos operating under them,and the players using said casinos. On the ‘Pro’ side, it grants casinos access to one of the largest online casino markets in the world while supporting player safety, security, and fair treatment. On the ‘Con’ side, it limits the profit that casinos like MrBen can make, while also limiting the size of the bonus money players are able to claim.
