How Have Poker Rules Changed in the EU After Brexit: What UK Players Should Know

The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union brought significant changes to a wide range of sectors, including online gambling. One particular area affected is online poker, where regulation, taxation, and accessibility have shifted for UK players. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape as of June 2025, outlining key differences and their implications for British users.

Licensing and Regulatory Framework: Post-Brexit Adjustments

Since Brexit, the UK is no longer bound by the harmonised gambling regulatory standards of the European Union. This change means that the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) operates entirely independently and enforces distinct licensing requirements, separate from EU jurisdictions.

UK-based poker sites now require a specific UKGC licence to operate legally within the United Kingdom. European operators who previously held EU-wide licences from Malta, Gibraltar, or other jurisdictions can no longer serve UK players without obtaining a separate UK licence.

This change has led to a reduction in the number of available poker rooms for UK players, as some smaller operators chose not to pursue a UK licence due to increased compliance costs and administrative burdens.

Impact on Player Protections and Site Audits

While the UKGC is known for strict consumer protection standards, its independence means that audits, responsible gaming policies, and player fund segregation now follow UK-defined guidelines. These standards are often more rigorous than in some EU countries, but they also limit access to international tournaments or promotions hosted under EU licences.

British players may notice that certain player tools or verification methods differ from what is offered in EU poker rooms. This divergence creates inconsistencies in user experience, especially for frequent travellers or cross-border participants.

Nevertheless, the UK continues to maintain a strong focus on responsible gambling and fraud prevention, ensuring a relatively high level of security for local players despite reduced cross-border integration.

Accessibility of European Poker Rooms

One of the most noticeable effects of Brexit is the restricted access to many popular European poker rooms. Platforms that previously accepted UK players under an EU licence are now either geo-blocking British IP addresses or redirecting users to UK-specific domains.

This has led to fragmentation in player pools, where UK-based users can no longer join pan-European tables or participate in shared liquidity tournaments with EU players. As a result, the availability of high-traffic games and large guaranteed prize events has declined for some UK players.

Moreover, some UK users face technical hurdles such as additional identity verification or payment rejection when trying to join or deposit funds in rooms still operating under EU licences.

Solutions for Cross-Border Poker Fans

To maintain access to international games, some players opt for dual registration with both UK and EU-based poker sites. However, this often involves managing separate accounts, currencies, and verification procedures, which can be cumbersome.

Other users resort to travelling to EU countries where their preferred poker sites are still accessible. This workaround, while legal, is limited to short-term visits and does not solve long-term accessibility issues.

British regulators have also explored bilateral agreements with certain EU jurisdictions, but no formal mutual recognition treaties have been signed as of mid-2025, leaving access reliant on operator willingness to accommodate UK players.

Taxation and Financial Reporting

Another key change post-Brexit concerns tax treatment. While poker winnings for recreational players remain tax-free in the UK, EU-based poker rooms may apply different rules to British citizens. This includes the potential withholding of taxes on large tournament payouts or obligations to file declarations with foreign tax authorities.

Additionally, financial reporting obligations for operators differ. EU gambling regulators may now require non-resident (UK) player data to be submitted for compliance checks, raising privacy and legal concerns.

From a UK perspective, operators licensed by the UKGC must adhere to domestic reporting standards, but no reciprocal reporting applies for EU-based sites unless explicitly mandated by local regulations.

Banking and Payment Services

Access to payment methods has also been disrupted. Some popular e-wallets and bank services that facilitated cross-border gambling transactions have withdrawn support for EU poker sites serving UK customers. This is particularly evident with providers headquartered in the EU who now avoid legal ambiguity post-Brexit.

UK players may face declined deposits, delayed withdrawals, or limited payment options when using cards or e-wallets previously accepted across the European market. Currency conversion fees have also increased due to the end of single-market banking privileges.

To mitigate these issues, some poker operators have integrated UK-focused payment gateways or partnered with fintech companies that cater specifically to British users, improving service reliability but narrowing choices overall.