5 Differences Between Casinos in the UK and USA

Say hello to Bally Casino! We're bringing you the iconic American gaming experience - with incredible rewards, entertainment and our famous 5-star service.

We're known as Bally's in the US, where we've built a huge reputation for ourselves, dating back over 90 action-packed years. We've got 14 awesome Bally's land-based casinos for players to enjoy across 10 states – and now we're stretching that to our buddies in the UK. Given all our experience, we know better than most that things aren't always the same when it comes to casinos on both sides of the Atlantic.

Want to know more? Pull up a chair and check out five key differences between land-based and online casinos in the UK, compared with those in the US.

Gambling laws

Let's start with the obvious, folks. Gambling laws in the US mean that players must wait an extra three years before they can place their bets, whether that is in a brick-and-mortar venue or at a casino online. You must be 18 before you can play at a UK casino online, but it's 21 in most states on the other side of the pond.

Gambling is regulated differently in the respective countries too. The UK Gambling Act of 2005 covers the entire nation, whereas American states have jurisdiction to create their own laws. You could go from one region to another in the USA and find that the rules have completely changed. It's still illegal to gamble in two states - Hawaii and Utah – so y'all will want to avoid these destinations if you're looking to place a bet.

Roulette gaming

Check out an American Roulette wheel in comparison to one on these shores, and you'll notice a pretty clear difference right away - the extra pocket. It isn't the American gaming without some supersized action, after all!

Alongside the standard 0 on American Roulette tables, you also have the Double 0. This also impacts the table's layout, so if you're used to playing the UK version, the numbers might not be where you expect them to be.

Regardless of the Double 0, the payout on straight up bets on UK and American Roulette games in our online casino is always 35/1. Unless of course, you're placing your bets on our innovative 100/1 Roulette tables. You guessed it – the payouts here are 100/1 if you predict the winning number.

And here's another fun fact for you, buds. It's illegal to play traditional roulette in California, as state laws ban games being settled by a ball or dice. So, casinos in the region had to be inventive and replaced the numbered pockets with playing cards. Instead of a ball spinning, a pointer indicates the winning card, which is then shown to players. Now, that is an alternative to the online roulette tables you may have played at!

Taxes on winnings

In the UK, no matter how much you win while playing casino games online, you will never have to pay a penny in tax. That could be at an online blackjack table or on one of our live dealer games - the profits are all yours. Hop across the pond, though, and you might be in for a shock!

See, over in the USA, gambling winnings are taxable. That's right - casino players in the US face deductions of up to 25% on their profits, and the threshold is based on the game being played. On a slot machine, taxes are taken on wins above $1,200, while Keno has a minimum win of $1,500 before deductions. In Las Vegas, international players may be taxed by as much as 30% on their winnings. There's no need to sweat it, UK citizens – if you take the trip across the Atlantic, you can claim the tax back thanks to the US Tax Treaty.

Venue sizes

Y'all know how it is in the USA. We're home to big hits and big action. After all, why order regular when you could order supersized? Take a trip Stateside and you'll find we've upped the action everywhere – including in our casinos! Land-based casinos in the US are generally bigger than those on the other side of the Atlantic. Only a handful of venues are above 50,000 square feet in the UK, with the largest coming in at just under 100,000.

In the US, you will find plenty of land-based casinos that are well over 100,000 square feet, dwarfing their counterparts here in the UK. The biggest of all our land-based casino venues? Twin River, Lincoln. Sitting pretty in Rhode Island, Twin River Lincoln is of epic proportions, with more than 162,000 square feet of gaming space. This also incorporates over 3,700 slot machines for players to spin – that's a lot of games to play!

Dress code

Another difference between the two countries when it comes to casinos is the dress code. In the UK, it is slightly stricter than if you were playing across the pond - it is still regarded as something of a social occasion to go out and play casino games. Tracksuits are mostly banned, and a smart casual outfit is generally required to gain entry.

In the US, overall, there is no dress code at all, so you can rock up and place your bets in whatever you feel most comfortable wearing.

So, you can see now why casinos in the US have such an awesome reputation in the entertainment business – in particular our incredible Bally's casino venues, with top-class tables and much more. But don't think you need to fly Stateside to experience the American action! Nuh-uh. We've shipped our hottest casino games, rewards and entertainment across the shores, with our online casino.

What are you waiting for? Jump into Bally Casino and enjoy our five-star service, with a host of Vegas-style live and online casino games to create some unforgettable moments.