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The Pools Casino Review – Safest Choice for UK Players

Scott Lawson Written By Scott Lawson
Last Updated on 07.10.2024

Welcome to our in-depth review of The Pools Casino, where you’ll discover why this popular UK brand has become a safe place to enjoy slots and casino games. We’ll explore the full range of games and software providers, licensing and site security, and check out the latest welcome bonus deal, so keep reading!

Our Rating of The Pools - United Kingdom United Kingdom Flag

Overview – Diverse Choice of Casino Games
Games 1,000+
Jackpots 33
RTP 94.46%
Customer Support Live Chat Mon-Sat 08:30 to 22:00 & Sun 12:00 to 22:00, Phone, Email
Most Popular Game The Goonies
Fairness Ensured By RNG Certified
Player Protection GamStop GambleAware
Gambling Licence UK Gambling Commission, Licence 48272
When you Deposit and Stake £10 Welcome Bonus 100 Free Spins
Visit The Pools Casino Play Here
Website https://play.thepools.com/casino/
Overall Rating 4.60 / 5
The Pools Highlights
Best Pragmatic Play Casinos Pragmatic Play Rank
Top PayPal Casinos PayPal Rank
Full T&Cs apply. New Customers only. 18+, UK only. Deposit & stake £10 get 100 free spins on 'Big Catch Bass Fishing' slot.

As we proceed with The Pools casino review, you’ll find information about the games portfolio, transaction method available, plus details covering all the safety measures in place for players. By the time you reach our conclusion, you’ll be able to understand how this online casino functions and how it ranks against the competition.

The Pools Casino Overview: 2024 Summary

The Pools is an online casino under the UK Gambling Commission licence 48272. The website offers a total of 1,000+ casino games, with over 30 jackpots. The average payout based on RNG certified audits is 94.46%. The most popular casino game at The Pools with UK players is The Goonies. This casino site features games from top-notch software providers, accompanied by transparently fair terms for bonuses and promotions.

The Pools Casino Games: – Quality Games & Excellent Variety

The most enjoyable part of The Pools casino review is testing the games, and our team found a great diversity of casino gaming entertainment to choose from at the site, ticking all the right boxes in terms of quality and variety. Whether your preference is for slots or table games and live dealer action, there’s something to suit every gaming taste.

The Online Casino Games at The Pools

Among the choice of top software developers featured is Games Global (formerly Microgaming), so The Pools games library includes an extensive range of Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slots titles. If you prefer table games, The Pools offers engaging titles themed around blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, plus a fully interactive live dealer section featuring real human croupiers.

Most Popular Slots & Table Games at The Pools Casino

Navigating your way through The Pools casino games couldn’t be easier, thanks to the simple and responsive site design, aided by useful search functions. The main focus is clearly slots, with 998 to choose from at the time of writing The Pools review. We were really impressed by the overall diversity of gaming options, and the top-notch quality of The Pools software providers.

Just as pleasing is the intriguing choice of table games, which isn’t overwhelming at 83 to try. There are 23 roulette titles, 43 blackjack options, but just the 5 video poker games. Nevertheless, further variety comes in the shape of keno and bingo, Slingo and Wheel of Fortune themed games, scratchcards and arcade games. Plus, there is a variety of games that are unique and exclusive to The Pools online casino.

Overall, I found that The Pools online casino site has a broad and varied games library, and more than enough to keep me entertained. Considering the casino site is relatively new, that’s quite impressive. Just as pleasing was the discovery that new games are constantly added, keeping the selections fresh in each niche, alongside the most popular and favourite casino gaming titles.

The Most Popular Games at The Pools Casino
Slots (998) Roulette (23) Blackjack (43) Table Games (83) Video Poker (5)
Bonanza 20p Roulette Classic Blackjack Gold Baccarat Hacksaw Four Card Poker
Mega Moolah European Roulette Hi-Lo Blackjack Dragon Tiger Baccarat Cards of Venus
The Goonies 10p Roulette Blackjack Perfect Pairs Realistic Baccarat Cards of Ra
Ted Immortal Romance Roulette Immortal Romance Blackjack 88 Fortunes Dice Cards of Athena
Extra Chilli Multifire Roulette Vegas Downtown Blackjack Cards of Asgard All Aces Cards of Asgard
Rainbow Riches Space Invaders Roulette ReDeal Blackjack Mega Wheel

The Pools casino hosts titles from many of the top iGaming development studios. This includes the full range of Mega Moolah-themed progressive jackpot slots by Games Global (formerly Microgaming), plus the Megaways range of slots from Big Time Gaming. Most of the top-quality table games are provided by Pragmatic Play, including several that are exclusive to The Pools online casino, which are not available elsewhere.

Vibrant Live Dealer Selection

Pragmatic Play is the software provider for many of the live dealer games at The Pools casino site. These include the popular Azure Blackjack and Azure Roulette titles, featuring multiple tables available to players, so you don’t have to wait around. Other intriguing live casino games include variants of Baccarat and Sic Bo, plus game show themed titles like Mega Wheel or Snakes and Ladders Live.

The Online Lobby of The Pools Casino

Although the core focus at The Pools online casino is clearly slots, frankly, I was really impressed by the choice of Live Blackjack and Live Roulette games available, alongside the pleasing number of game variants and themes for each. Likewise, it’s also reassuring to have such a prominent developer as Pragmatic Play powering the live casino gaming options.

Mobile and Tablet Gaming on the Go

When we tested mobile gaming performance, The Pools online casino matched all our hopes and expectations, given the site has been fully optimised to function correctly on mobile devices. Whether your device is based on iOS or Android, you can be sure of a smooth and seamless gaming experience.

The Pools Mobile Gaming Responsive interface optimised for mobile devices
Get 100 Free Spins When you Deposit and Stake £10
Full T&Cs apply. New Customers only. 18+, UK only. Deposit & stake £10 get 100 free spins on 'Big Catch Bass Fishing' slot.

Although there’s no dedicated mobile app available to download from The Pools online casino, as mentioned, the site has been designed to function correctly on both desktop and mobile devices.

This means that regardless of the screen size, whether you’re using a smartphone or tablet, pages and games will scale to size and fit the display of your device. We encountered no problems or issues in this regard while testing.

The Pools Table Limits: Min and Max Bets

Due to having such an extensive games portfolio at The Pools online casino, there are plenty of high and low staking levels available, catering to both low and high budget players. Nevertheless, we always recommend gambling responsibly, so it’s worth setting your own limits and sticking to them.

Whenever you start playing any games at The Pools casino, minimum and maximum bets are clearly displayed. The table below highlights our top choices for games with low and high betting limits:

#1 The Pools High Stakes Slot Mega Moolah
#1 The Pools Low Stakes Slot Extra Chilli
Best High Roller Roulette European Roulette
Best High Roller Blackjack Vegas Downtown Blackjack
Top Low Limit Roulette 10p Roulette
Top Low Limit Blackjack Classic Blackjack Gold
Highest Live Dealer Max Bet Azure Blackjack
Lowest Live Dealer Min Bet Mega Wheel

Other Gambling Games at The Pools

Most people in Britain will already be familiar with The Pools brand, dating back to the Football Pools that launched in 1923, offering punters the chance to predict the outcome of football matches. This continues to the present day, although the company has expanded its gambling activities in recent decades.

Now, alongside the Football Pools and The Pools casino, there’s a wide selection of other gambling games available. These include The Pools Lotto, The Pools Arcade, The Pools Sports Betting. There’s also an intriguing Free to Play section available to members, featuring Football Squares and The Pools Picks, offering cash prizes.

The Pools Payouts and RTPs

Crunching the numbers, we calculated the average RTP rate at 94.46% across all games featured at The Pools online casino. While this does appear to be fairly low compared to many other casino sites we have reviewed, it’s also worth pointing out that the diversity of The Pools games does influence that number.

In theory, this means that for every £100 that games take at the casino site, the overall The Pools casino payout is £94.46 over a set period of time. However, RTP rates can vary from one extreme to another, based on the type of casino game.

For example, video slots featuring progressive jackpots often have low RTP rates, justified by accumulating funds for the large payouts. Meanwhile, table games like blackjack and roulette often have the highest RTP rates, due to the increased regularity of payouts.

Game Min Payout/RTP Max Payout/RTP
Classic Slots 94.30% 99.32%
Video Slots 84.30% 98.60%
Roulette 92.11% 98.65%
Blackjack 91.99% 99.86%
Table Games 85.64% 99.80%
Video Poker 94.30% 99.59%
Scratch Cards 93.00% 96.02%
Arcade Games 80.01% 97.22%

Publishing RTP rates is obligatory under UKGC licensing regulations, while software and games must also be certified by independent testing agencies. The Pools online casino is fully compliant with these regulations, guaranteeing that games have been checked to ensure fairness.

When you browse through The Pools game library, don’t forget to check the game rules before you start playing. This is a common feature for online casino games, which not only provides gameplay instructions and useful information, but also tends to display the RTP rate.

The Pools Deposit and Withdrawal Methods

Although it’s fair to say that The Pools casino doesn’t offer many payment methods, those that are available are solid and reliable. The only eWallet offered is PayPal, while debit cards featured include VISA, Mastercard, Maestro, and Electron.

Compared to many other casino sites where £10 is the minimum deposit, at The Pools, having a minimum deposit of just £5 makes them quite competitive in this regard.

Payment Method Type Minimum Deposit Casino Deposit/Withdrawal Payment Fee
VISA Debit Card £5 Yes No
Mastercard Debit Card £5 Yes No
Maestro Debit Card £5 Yes No
Electron Debit Card £5 Yes No
PayPal eWallet £5 Yes No

Players are safe and secure using PayPal or any of the debit cards mentioned above. Likewise, using the same method for deposits and withdrawals is recommended, as this tends to speed up the process. Another tip is to upload any proof of identity required for KYC checks, prior to making any deposits or withdrawals, as this will also help to avoid any delays.

Deposit payments are typically instant, once the transaction is confirmed via the chosen method. According to the terms and conditions published at The Pools casino site, withdrawals can take 3-5 working days to process. However, while testing withdrawals at The Pools casino, we found that using PayPal can often result in quicker processing times.

Casino Layout and Website Design

The Pools online casino layout and website design is really simple and easy to navigate, which suits my own preferences. Using the same colour scheme throughout and with a plain background, there’s noting to distract from what matters the most, which is finding the games you want to play.

And speaking of navigation, The Pools casino software is responsive and clearly designed for ease of use. There are tabs to help you find Slots, Jackpots, Slingo, Table Games, Live Dealer, and Promotions. In addition, the search box is also an effective way to find what you’re looking for. If you type in “Blackjack” for example, it will produce a full list of all the blackjack games available at the site.

Some Details About The Pools Casino Software
Software Provider Pragmatic Play
Website www.pragmaticplay.com
Game Developer(s) Microgaming, Evolution, Big Time Gaming, ELK Studios
Languages English
Download-Size No Download
Hardware Requirements No Download
Software Requirements No Download
Instant Play Requirements Updated Mobile or Desktop Browser and Internet Connection

Although there’s no downloadable versions of The Pools casino available, they’re not really needed. The site has been fully optimised for both desktop and mobile browsers, which means that all The Pools games listed at the site will function perfectly, and scale to the size of your screen.

While preparing The Pools review and checking through the games portfolio, what impressed us most of all was the software providers. Based on our experience, we can see that The Pools casino has carefully selected games that are not only appealing to players, but designed and developed by top-notch studios. This is always a good indication of quality gaming.

Among the 900+ slots featured in The Pools games library, we spotted many from ELK Studios, including fun titles like Wild Toro and Taco Brothers. There’s also the full range of Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slots from Games Global (formerly Microgaming), including spin-off titles such as Immortal Romance Mega Moolah, Book of Mega Moolah, Fortunium Gold Mega Moolah, and many more.

The Pools Company Information

From a little office based in Liverpool, three friends started the Football Pool back in 1923, offering fans the opportunity to predict the outcome of weekend fixtures. The first coupons were sold outside Manchester United’s Old Trafford, and went on to become a resounding success.

Sir John Moores is credited the evolution the company, when it became the largest football pools in the world. At its peak by the 1940s and 1950s, the Littlewoods Pools had more than 14 million weekly players. Eventually, in 2008, Littlewoods joined forces with Vernons and Zetters to create the new Football Pools.

In 2018, The Pools became the sole new brand name, when the company launched a range of digital online products, including The Pools Sports Betting, The Pools Lotto, and The Pools Casino. Since that time, the casino site featured in The Pools review here has gone from strength to strength.

Interesting Facts About the The Pools Casino

The Pools casino is operated by The Football Pools Limited. The company itself has always been based in Merseyside, while the head office is located at Walton House, 55 Charnock Road, Liverpool, England, L67 1AA. Gambling operations are fully registered with the UK Gambling Commission, under licence number 48272.

As one of the oldest gambling operations in the UK and with such a rich history, The Pools has become an iconic brand, and one that has evolved with changing times and trends. The Pools online casino is a great example, offering a wide variety of gaming entertainment, yet retaining the founding principles of excellent customer support and social responsibility.

More Information About The Pools Casino
Company Security Player Protection Support
Name: The Football Pools Limited Encryption: 128-bit SSL Encryption Deposit Limits: Adjustable Phone: 0800 500 000
Head Office: Walton House, 55 Charnock Road, Liverpool, England, L67 1AA Licence: 48272 Activity Limitations: Available Email: support@thepools.com
Parent Company: OpCapita IT-Security: DigiCert Self-Exclusion: Available Contact Form: Available
CEO: James Arnold RTP Analysis: RNG Certified Protection of Minors: Guaranteed Live Chat: Mon-Sat: 8.30am-10pm
Sunday: 12pm-10pm
Employees: 150+ Anti-Money Laundering: ID Verification Problem Gambling Organizations: GamStop, GambleAware

Customer Support Options

One of the first things we noticed while preparing The Pools casino review, they don’t have 24/7 customer service staff available. However, this minor inconvenience is more than offset by the extensive number of support channels available to players.

When testing, we found that The Pools offers highly responsive customer support, available via email and live chat, plus there’s a freephone number and even good old-fashioned post. If you were to ask how many online casinos offer phone and postal support these days, our honest answer would be very few. And that’s what really stood out about The Pools casino for our testing team.

Despite not being available 24/7, working hours for customer support staff are Monday to Saturday between 8.30am and 10pm, and Sunday between 12pm and 10pm. The positive aspect is that during these hours, you are guaranteed to get an authentic human response, rather than any frustrating chatbot message. There’s also an extensive ‘Help’ section with FAQs to cover the most popular questions.

Safety and Security Online

Aside from being fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, compliant with all the latest regulations and operating requirements, The Pools online casino is also completely safe and secure. The online connection is verified by DigiCert, with all player data and personal information protected by 128-bit encryption technology.

Games and software are verifiably fair, certified by independent testing agencies that are approved by the UKGC. Likewise, The Pools casino actively promotes responsible gambling in partnerships with GamStop and GambleAware. Furthermore, the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) is also promoted for additional consumer confidence.

The Pools Licensing and Security Certificates
  • UK Gambling Commission
  • RNG Certified
  • DigiCert
  • GamStop
  • GambleAware
  • IBAS

Extra Points

Alongside an extensive range of slots and table games, there are five games that have been uniquely designed for The Pools casino by Big Ant Gaming. These are The Pools Megaways, The Pools Halloween Horrors Megaways, The Pools Hold and Win, The Pools Plinko, and The Pools Mines.

The Pools casino hasn’t directly won any major industry awards itself, although most of the key partners and software providers have, and this includes many of the top games featured. This indicates that The Pools has taken great care and consideration when compiling its library of games, focusing on selecting the best of the best for players to enjoy. The site itself has also been designed for the utmost ease of use and navigation.

  • AWARDS. 1/3
  • PROMOTIONS. 3/3
  • SPECIAL GAMES. 2/2
  • LOYALTY SCHEME. 0/1
  • EXTRAS. 1/1
  • BONUS POINTS. 7

While preparing The Pools casino review and exploring the promotions available, we were really impressed. Just for The Pools casino alone and beyond the 100 free spins welcome bonus, there are lots of additional promotions available to players. Given the volume and variety of promotions available to players, these offer a suitable alternative to having a specific loyalty scheme.

These promotions include exclusive opportunities to Play for Free Every Day on slots, 100 free spins for the Slot of the Week, daily cash prizes tied to Pragmatic Play slots, Fly and Win daily cash prizes, plus Snakes and Ladders Live Madness. Essentially, you can choose whichever promotion takes your fancy, depending on your own gameplay preferences.

And the best part of these promotions is the fairness and value they offer. For example, while players must deposit and stake £25 in the free spins promotions, and use those spins within 5 days on specific slots, there’s no set play through requirement at The Pools casino.

Essentially, all winnings from the free spins will go directly into your real money balance, instead of being required to gamble any bonus funds multiple times before you can make withdrawals.

The Pools Review Conclusion

As we reach the end of The Pools casino review, it has to be said that the testing team and I were really impressed. Having a free spins welcome bonus without restrictive playthrough requirements is quite novel, so that’s always a positive start, matched by the quality and variety of games available that even includes a selection of titles exclusive to The Pools.

We also appreciated the diversity of ongoing promotions and bonus offers that are available to players, meaning you can pick and choose whatever takes your fancy. Another great aspect of The Pools casino was the simplicity of site design, plus the ease of navigation, making sure you can quickly find games and all the other features without any complications.

Strengths and Weaknesses of The Pools
Major Strengths
  • Overall Gaming Variety
  • Exclusive Games
Minor Strengths
  • Plenty of Promotions
  • Simplicity of Site Design
Major Weaknesses
  • Small Choice of Payment Methods
Minor Weaknesses
  • Limited Video Poker Games
  • No 24/7 Customer Support
100 Free Spins When you Deposit and Stake £10
Full T&Cs apply. New Customers only. 18+, UK only. Deposit & stake £10 get 100 free spins on 'Big Catch Bass Fishing' slot.

While there are certainly many positive aspects to The Pools casino, in terms of negatives, we have to highlight the small number of payment methods available. Players are limited to the choice of debit cards or just the one eWallet with PayPal. That being said, those available are trustworthy and reliable, but having more would be an improvement.

The Pools casino certainly does compare well to the best casino sites, particularly for players who wish to combine multiple gambling activities, such as the Football Pools, Sports Betting, Lotto, and Arcade gaming. This is a highly reputable and familiar brand in the UK, and even if the customer support isn’t available 24/7, we found the genuine human staff to be exceptionally helpful.

Scott Lawson, Author in online-casinos.com
Scott Lawson – Author and Casino Expert

The Pools online casino is buzzing with diverse gaming options, including several exclusive titles. Backed by an iconic brand and top-notch customer support, players can enjoy safe and secure gaming with the utmost confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Pools casino review produced here aims to cover all the most important information, but we also appreciate that readers may sometimes have specific questions. Below, our FAQ section features answers to popular questions. Likewise, feel free to contact us directly via contact@online-casinos.com whenever you like, should you need any further information.

Is The Pools casino safe?

Yes, The Pools casino is completely safe and secure. Alongside being fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the site also features 128-bit SSL encryption technology, verified by DigiCert. For added reassurance, this gambling site promotes responsible gambling in partnership with GamStop and GambleAware, plus independent dispute resolution support via IBAS.

What are the most popular games at The Pools casino?

Slots tend to be the most popular games featured at The Pools casino, including Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play, and the full range of Mega Moolah progressive Jackpot slots by Games Global (formerly Microgaming). Among the most popular table games are 20p Roulette and Hi-Lo Blackjack, while player favourites in the Live Dealer area include Speed Roulette and One Blackjack.

Are there free spins at The Pools casino?

Yes, there are free spins promotions available at The Pools casino. First is the welcome bonus for new players, which provides the opportunity to get 100 free spins when you sign up, deposit and stake £10 on casino slots. Additional free spins promotions include chances to Play for Free Every Day, 100 Free Spins on the Slot of the Week, and further deals that are updated regularly.

Can I play The Pools casino on mobile?

The Pools casino site and games have been fully optimised to work on mobile devices, whether your preference is the latest smartphone or tablet, although there is no dedicated app for download. Games will always scale to the correct screen size of your device, as will The Pools website and all functions, ensuring a seamless experience across all mobile platforms.

Does The Pools have a Live Casino?

The Pools does have a live casino, providing a large selection of fully interactive games to enjoy via the ‘Live Dealer’ menu at the site. Alongside traditional favourites like Roulette and Blackjack, there’s also live versions of Baccarat, Andar Bahar, and Sic Bo, plus unique game show titles including Mega Wheel and Snakes & Ladders Live.

Are the The Pools payouts legit?

Yes, payouts are completely legit at The Pools casino, given that RTP rates are audited and certified by independent testing agencies. The RTP rates for games can be found in the game instructions, which is also compliant with UKGC regulations.