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REVIEW: The Pools Casino UK
By Momchil Chonov
Gambling Expert & Content Lead
Our Contributors
Momchil Chonov, Gambling Expert & Content Team Lead
6.4/10
or
64%HighScore Naming:High
The Casino.net Overall Score is calculated automatically and based on hard facts about the
operator, as well as on expert and user opinions.
by Casino.net
Our user rank represents an average score based on all user ratings.
No comparison data available based on our user rank.
Overall Score Distribution:
6.5/10
Web Rank Based on opinions across the web.
Web Rank
6.5
Our web rank is an aggregate score based on data from Google Play, the App Store, Trustpilot, Ahrefs Domain Rating, Lighthouse metrics, and Reviews.io.
The Pools has a lower web rank than 50% of all reviewed casinos.
Our experts ranked The Pools higher than 31% of all reviewed casinos.
The expert score reflects the combined evaluations of our team members and contributors who collaborated on this comprehensive review. Explore all our expert opinions and insights.
The The Pools slot selection features more games than
18.4% of all reviewed casinos. The average RTP of
The Pools slots is higher than
95.9% of operators featured on casino.net.
Slots RTP:
96.04%
Payout:
2 - 5 Days
Software:
Hacksaw Gaming,
Pragmatic Play,
Blueprint Gaming,
Big Time Gaming,
Slingo Originals,
1x2gaming,
Skywind Group,
Realistic Games,
ELK Studios,
Inspired Gaming,
Lightning Box,
Slot Factory,
Just For The Win,
Habanero,
High 5 Games
The Casino.net Algorithm is automatically calculated using objective data about the casino. Below is the score for The Pools Casino based on all criteria:
Casino.net Algo Score: 5.8/10
The Pools Casino has a higher Casino.net Algo score than 10% of all reviewed casinos.
5.8/105.8
points out of
10
Safety + 2.5 points
Games + 0.6 points
RTP + 0.7 points
Bonus + 0.1 points
Payment + 0.8 points
User Experience + 0.7 points
Reputation and Awards + 0.4 points
Our Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Geo Licence
+ 1.5
The Pools Casino has a licence for this country.
Responsible Gambling Systems
+ 0.5
The Pools Casino offers deposit limits, self-exclusion.
Safety Technology and Privacy Protection
+ 0.5
The Pools Casino uses HTTPS and has cookie warning, customizable cookie settings, anti-malware and spyware certificate, password protection and checks against data breach.
Safety & Responsible Gambling
+ 2.5 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Number of Games
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino has less games than 50% of all reviewed casinos.
Number of Slots
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino has at least one hundred slots.
Number of Live Games
+ 0.3
The Pools Casino offers live roulette, blackjack, baccarat, Casino Hold'em, Three-Card Poker, and Hi-Lo.
Number of Software Providers
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino has games by less software providers than 50% of all reviewed casinos.
Games
+ 0.6 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Overall RTP
+ 0
The Pools Casino has overall RTP lower than 80% of all reviewed casinos. (RTP: 94.46%)
Slots RTP
+ 0.7
The Pools Casino has better slot RTP than 90% of all reviewed casinos. (Slots RTP: 96.04%)
RTP
+ 0.7 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Welcome Bonus Max Amount
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino offers a lower bonus amount than most reviewed casinos.
Wagering Requirement
+ 0
The Pools Casino offers worse wagering contributions than 70% of all reviewed casinos.
Bonus Minimum Deposit
+ 0
The Pools Casino accepts a bonus minimum deposit higher than £10. (Minimum deposit: £20.00)
Bonus
+ 0.1 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Number of Payment Methods
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino offers fewer than 10 payment methods (Payment methods: 3)
Fastest Withdrawal Time
+ 0.3
The Pools Casino offers instant withdrawals for select payment methods.
Minimum Deposit
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino accepts a minimum deposit of £10 or lower. (Minimum deposit: £5.00)
Maximum Deposit
+ 0
The Pools Casino does not specify a maximum deposit.
Cashout Limits
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino has no cashout limits. (Security checks might apply.)
Currencies
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino accepts £.
PayPal Accepted
+ 0.1
The Pools Casino accepts PayPal.
Payment
+ 0.8 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Customer Support Availability
+ 0.3
The Pools Casino offers 24/7 customer support.
Customer Support Methods
+ 0.2
The Pools Casino offers customer service but not both live chat and phone support.
Compatible Devices
+ 0.2
The Pools Casino works seamlessly across all devices, old and new.
Languages
+ 0
The Pools Casino offers only one language.
User Experience
+ 0.7 points
Criteria
How The Pools Casino Scored
Why This Score
Casino Awards
+ 0
The Pools Casino doesn’t have casino awards. (None)
Other Products
+ 0.2
The Pools Casino offers only one other gambling product. (Products: sport)
Public Company
+ 0.2
The Pools Casino is held by a public company.
Reputation and Awards
+ 0.4 points
User Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to leave a review by clicking the button below.
Curious how others rate The Pools? Here's an overview of its reception across trusted review sources.
Website
Score
Translating into score out of 10
App Store
Not listed
Not listed
Play Store
Not listed
Not listed
Ahrefs Domain Rating
49/100
4.9/10
Lighthouse Metrics
Lighthouse scores measure page quality — including speed, accessibility, and best practices — to show how well this site performs for visitors.
Not listed
Not listed
Trustpilot
4/5
8/10
Reviews.io
Not listed
Not listed
Average Web Score:
6.5/10
Expert Opinions
Slots Expert's Opinion
Lindsey Jones
Slots Expert
Lindsey has over 5 years of experience as a content writer in the igaming industry. Her focus and specialty are on slots. She has written numerous reviews for different games, always providing quality content.
Live and Table Games Expert's Opinion
Nikola Antonov
Live and Table Games Expert
Nikola started working as a senior content writer in 2019, and since then, he has created numerous online casino reviews and articles about gambling in different countries. Over the years, he has been involved in projects that require a thorough analysis of various gaming platforms, which has helped him gain strong expertise. Thanks to his experience in writing reviews, Nikola has built a precise comparison model to overview and fairly assess online casinos and their services.
Social Media Expert's Opinion
Manuela Nikolova
Social Media Expert
Manuela Nikolova serves as the dedicated social media reviewer for casino.net, providing expert analysis on how gambling brands engage with players and build trust across various platforms. She brings together a master’s degree in marketing and brand management with extensive experience in social media strategy and the creation of engaging gambling-related content. Above all, Manuela is deeply committed to player safety, consistently advocating for transparency and responsible gambling practices.
Legal Expert's Opinion
Momchil Petrov
Legal Expert
With over a decade of legal experience in the online gambling industry, Momchil specialises in advising key stakeholders—including operators, providers, and affiliates—on compliance, licensing, and regulatory strategy. He has drafted hundreds of Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policies, and other key legal documents tailored to the online casino space. As a speaker at international gambling conferences, he stays ahead of industry trends and evolving legal standards. In his reviews, he takes a critical look at each casino—breaking down the fine print, highlighting potential red flags, and offering players clear, trustworthy insights grounded in real legal expertise.
IT Expert's Opinion
Plamen Spahiev
IT Expert
Plamen is a seasoned IT expert with over 20 years of experience leading technical teams and designing secure, high-performance systems. With a strong background in cybersecurity, risk analysis, and infrastructure optimisation, he ensures each casino meets high standards for technical reliability, speed, and data protection.
Slots Expert's Opinion
Our slot expert reviews the slot selection, software providers, and how easy it is to browse games. They also look at branded titles, jackpots, and features like tournaments and missions.
What I like:
Generous Free Spins Welcome Offer:
If you deposit £20 at The Pools Casino, you'll get 100 free spins on Big Bass Splash. When registering, just opt in for the promotion. The free spins will be credited once you've wagered £20. Each free spin is worth 10p, and once you've got them, they will expire in 5 days.
Good Megaways Selection:
If you love playing Megaways-style slots, then the selection at The Pools is top-notch. Conveniently, Megaways has its own section, or you can use the search box for your preferred slot game. The most popular titles are Ted Megaways, The Goonies Megaways, and Bass Cash Deluxe.
Mega Spins:
As long as you've placed a bet in the previous 24 hours, you'll get the chance to win free spins on selected slots. It's a points-based system where you win free spins prizes. The prizes are 1, 5, 10,25, and 50 free spins, and if you win, the spins are credited to your account instantly.
Exclusive Games:
The Pools offers UK players a wide range of exclusive slot games. Many are based around seasonal things such as Christmas or Halloween. In addition, you can enjoy the exclusive Pools Megaways. You can play all the games in the demo version if you prefer.
What I don't like:
Basic Lobby Navigation:
The categories to filter the games are basic. You can find slot types in the top navigation bar, like Megaways or Drop and Wins. Once the slots are displayed, everything is in the grid format, with little details about the slot itself.
Progressive Jackpots:
The selection of progressive jackpots is slim and doesn't include many well-known networks such as Wowpots or Dream Drops. Also, a section should be dedicated to progressive jackpots, clearly displaying the amount you can win.
My recommendations:
Better Filters:
Finding new games is hard, as the filters are quite basic. There is no way to choose games made by specific software providers, volatility, or RTP. The same could be said for filtering slots by theme. The more filters available to the user, the better.
Add More Slot Tournaments:
Slot tournaments are extremely exciting to play and offer a social aspect to playing slot machines. Currently, only Drop and Wins is available to play on the site, so I'd like to see more tournaments added or even an exclusive The Pools one.
Live and Table Games Expert's Opinion
Our live and table games expert reviews the variety of table games, live dealer quality, and software providers. They also check table limits, usability, and availability, plus extras like bet behind, tournaments, and gamified features like badges and levels.
What I like:
Various Live Dealer Games:
The Pools impressed me with its well-managed live casino lobby. Although not the biggest in the class, it offers an excellent mix of variations with attractive betting limits ranging between £0.10 and £5000. Some of the most popular titles include Auto Mega Roulette featuring multipliers of x100, x200, x500, or Azure Blackjack X, and Prive Launge Blackjack.
Convenient Game Categories:
I could quickly navigate the game selection and check out the available options. The categories were conveniently separated, and a search menu helped me sort the game types with ease.
Overall High Quality:
While checking the game catalogue, I noticed that most of the games are powered by reputable software brands like Evolution and Pragmatic Play, guaranteeing high-end quality and state-of-the-art mechanics.
What I don't like:
Limited Number of Niche RNG Tables:
While there is a decent amount of RNG roulette and blackjack games, I could not find enough baccarat, sic-bo, or poker options. Unfortunately, their number is limited, resulting in an incomplete RNG game catalogue.
My recommendations:
Add More Baccarat and Poker Games:
Many players still prefer games like baccarat, poker, and sic-bo, and it would be good for The Pools Casino to include more of them to retain even more customers.
Social Media Expert's Opinion
Our social media expert checks which platforms the company uses, how often they post, and how well their content performs. They also look at follower count, brand tone, growth, and whether any channels are inactive or missing.
What I like:
Verified X Presence:
On its official and verified X account, The Pools has a strong community of 27.2K followers. There's a heavy focus on sports, specifically football content, which is unsurprising and resonates well with the brand's heritage and positioning.
Promising Start on YouTube:
The recently launched channel already shows strong traction. One of the three videos available so far has reached nearly 300K views. This is a significant achievement and a clear sign of potential for growth.
Good Channel Diversity:
Unlike many competitors, such as Yeti Casino, for example, The Pools has at least some presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and YouTube, which gives it a broader digital footprint to build on.
What I don't like:
Dormant Facebook Page:
With no posts since 2022, the account looks neglected, which may leave a negative impression on some players. Also, in the intro of the account it says “Please head to our official account The Football Pools” but there’s no such page.
Incorrect Social Media Linking:
On the website, the links to X, Facebook, and Instagram lead to inactive or wrong accounts, with incorrect handles. This is a major red flag, especially since The Pools already has well-established pages. It creates confusion and weakens trust.
My recommendations:
Leverage YouTube Momentum:
Double down on video content. Build a mix of football insights, quick betting explainers, and commentary from professionals and experts to capitalize on the platform’s algorithmic reach. Promote videos across other channels to grow subscribers.
Fix Incorrect Website Links:
Update the brand’s official website to point to the correct and active social media accounts. At the same time, decide whether to revive the dormant Facebook page with fresh, regular content or remove it entirely to avoid confusion.
Legal Expert's Opinion
Our legal expert checks if the casino is licensed and since when. They review the terms to see if bonus abuse is clearly defined and flag vague or misleading clauses. The review also covers player protection, responsible gambling tools, ADR, GDPR compliance, and regulatory fines.
What I like:
Privacy Policy Transparency:
The Pools provides a comprehensive and clearly structured Privacy & Cookie Policy. The details of data collection, lawful processing, and user rights reflect a strong commitment to UK GDPR and data security standards.
Responsible Gambling Support:
The operator demonstrates a notable commitment to player protection, highlighting that its customer service team receives thorough awareness training on problem gambling issues. Its Responsible Gaming Policy is detailed, covering safer gambling tools, advice on recognising problematic behaviour, and contact details for professional organisations.
Clear Bonus and Collusion Terms:
The Terms and Conditions clearly outline the consequences of bonus abuse, collusion, or cheating, with explicit definitions and enforcement protocols. This clarity on prohibited activities supports fairness for all customers.
Customer Account Protections:
Customer funds are separated from company operating funds and classified as "medium protection" under UKGC rules.
Licensing and Regulatory Status:
The Pools Casino is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (Licence No. 48272, issued 25 May 2017).
What I don't like:
Recent Regulatory Action:
In March 2025, The Pools (Football Pools Limited) paid £375,000 instead of a financial penalty, after a UKGC review uncovered significant failings in anti-money laundering (AML) monitoring.
Inactive Account Fee Unspecified:
Although accounts only become inactive after 30 months without login, which is longer than most competitors, the policy does not state the actual "Inactive Account Fee" charged each month. This limits player clarity on potential account charges.
Overly Complex Terms Layout:
While comprehensive, the Terms and Conditions can be dense and intimidating for non-legal readers, particularly in how clauses are grouped and repeated. This complexity may hinder customers from fully understanding their rights and obligations.
My recommendations:
Add Precise Inactive Account Fee Disclosure:
The Pools should clearly state the fee amount deducted from inactive accounts within the T&C.
Simplify and Segment the Terms:
Breaking up multi-topic clauses and reordering the structure for easier navigation, possibly with summaries or quick-reference guides, would help players better understand the rules and restrictions attached to their accounts.
IT Expert's Opinion
Our IT expert evaluates the site’s technical performance, covering security, HTTPS implementation, and core web metrics. They also check mobile optimisation and the use of content delivery networks. Further review includes caching practices, hosting setup, and frontend diagnostics.
What Works Well:
Exceptional Initial Load Performance:
The site has an extremely fast start to its render process.
Server Response Time: An outstanding 80 ms.
First Contentful Paint (FCP): A very fast 0.4 s.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): A good score of 1.7 s.
Modern Infrastructure & Technology:
The site is served via the Cloudflare CDN and supports modern protocols like HTTP/2.
It uses modern JavaScript libraries (lit-element, lit-html) and is bundled with Webpack.
It is configured as a Progressive Web App (PWA).
Solid Foundational Setup:
The site correctly enforces HTTPS, uses Cloudflare Bot Management for security, and has a properly configured mobile viewport.
What Needs Improvement:
CRITICAL - Extreme Layout Instability:
The Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is 0.55, which is exceptionally high. This creates a severely disruptive and poor user experience as content shifts dramatically during the loading process.
CRITICAL - High Main-Thread Blocking:
The Total Blocking Time (TBT) is 980 ms. This indicates that long-running scripts are freezing the page for nearly a second, making it feel unresponsive to user input.
Poor Interactivity and Visual Completion:
Despite the fast start, the page is slow to become fully usable.
Time to Interactive (TTI): 6.8 s.
Speed Index: 5.2 s. These metrics show a long delay between the initial paint and the page being ready for interaction.
Console Errors:
The analysis detected a network error where a script was served with an unsupported MIME type (text/html), indicating a server configuration or deployment issue.
Heavy Third-Party Tracking:
The site uses 9 third-party cookies from services including Microsoft Advertising (Bing), Xtremepush, and Microsoft Clarity, which contribute to the high TBT.
Missing SEO Elements:
No structured data (schema.org types) was found.
Recommendations:
Fix CLS as the Highest Priority:
The 0.55 CLS score is the most severe user-facing issue.
Action: Immediately investigate which elements are causing the layout shifts. This is commonly due to ads, banners, or images loading without their dimensions specified. Reserve space for these elements using CSS aspect-ratio or by setting explicit width and height attributes on <img> and <iframe> tags.
Drastically Reduce Total Blocking Time:
The 980 msTBT is the primary reason for the slow TTI and Speed Index.
Action: Audit all third-party scripts, particularly from Bing, Xtremepush, and Clarity. Defer their execution until after the core page content is interactive. Leverage Webpack's code-splitting to break down the application's JavaScript into smaller, on-demand chunks.
Resolve Console and Network Errors:
Action: Identify which script request is returning a text/html MIME type. This is often a sign of a 404 error that falls back to an HTML page. Correct the URL in the code or fix the server configuration that is serving the incorrect Content-Type header.
Implement Structured Data:
Action: Add Organization and WebSite schema.org markup to the homepage to provide clear entity information to search engines, which can improve search visibility and enable rich results.
Lead Author's Summary and Final Rating
Momchil ChonovGambling Expert & Content Team Lead
Very HighOveral Expert Score7.0/10 or 70 %
Both my own experience and team feedback point to The Pools as a well-rounded destination with roots in trusted betting and a fresh, modern twist on online casino content. The mix of live and RNG games is powerful, with a user-friendly structure and standout features like exclusive slots, generous Megaways options, and engaging free spin rewards. Responsible gambling isn’t an afterthought - support tools, customer service training, and medium fund protection make The Pools an easy platform to trust. Technical performance is strong, with quick load times and a clean, mobile-ready site, and there’s genuine momentum behind the brand’s X and YouTube channels.
What really shines for me is how The Pools brings together a competitive slots portfolio and exclusive games in tandem with a player-first approach. The verified, content-rich X feed and growing YouTube channel demonstrate a willingness to connect and inform, showing the brand understands the importance of community. Innovations like Mega Spins and regular promotions keep gameplay lively, while security and speedy customer support underpin the whole experience, appealing to anyone after a reliable UK casino.
Momchil Chonov brings over 17 years of experience in land-based casinos and online gambling content, offering a deep and well-rounded understanding of the gaming industry. His extensive background allows him to produce accurate, engaging, and insightful content for players of all skill levels. Passionate about responsible gambling and player education, Momchil is committed to providing trustworthy advice, in-depth reviews, and clear, easy-to-follow guides. His goal is to ensure every visitor enjoys online gaming in a safe, informed, and responsible way.
Full T&Cs Apply. First Deposit Only. Game: Book of Dead, Spin Value: £0.5, Max Free Spins: 100. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the free spin winnings amount or £5 (lowest amount applies). Spins must be used and/or Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. First Deposit/Welcome Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies
Full T&Cs Apply. #Ad. New members only, must opt in. Min £10 deposit & wager (excl. sports betting). 30 day expiry from deposit. 18+. Free Spins: on Double Bubble. 1p coin size, max lines. Game availability & restrictions apply. BeGambleAware.org
Full T&Cs Apply. New players only, £10 min fund, £200 max matchup bonus, free spin wins credited as bonus, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250).
The Pools is a top pick for UK casino fans after trusted services, a broad choice of live and slot games, and modern responsible gaming support. Engaging rewards, quality content, and a growing social presence create an inviting environment for everyone. With a few boosts to niche games, slot features, and jackpots, The Pools can confidently stake its claim as one of the new leaders on the UK casino scene.
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