The Sun Play Sister Sites: The Closed Nektan Network Explained

The Sun Play was a News UK and The Sun branded casino, but it was actually run as a white-label by Nektan (Gibraltar) Limited on Nektan’s Evolve platform. Its sister sites were other Nektan brands such as Kerching, Touch Lucky, GreatBritain Casino, Vita Casino and Monaco Riches. The key fact: Nektan collapsed into administration in 2020, the Gambling Commission ruled it unsuitable and suspended its licence, and The Sun Play closed in April 2020. It is not to be confused with the still-live, separately run Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo. This page explains the old network and points to that genuine, UK-licensed Sun-branded option and other safe choices.

The Sun Play Sister Sites in Full

Worth untangling two things people mix up. There were two separate “Sun” gambling operations. The Sun Play was a Nektan white-label and is now closed. Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo are a different operation run by VF2011 Limited on Playtech, and they are still licensed and live. This page covers The Sun Play’s actual Nektan sisters, then points to the VF2011 Sun brands as the closest working alternative.

What Happened to The Sun Play

The Sun Play launched in 2017 under a deal between Nektan and News UK, running on Nektan’s mobile platform. In April 2020 Nektan entered administration, having already been removed from the London Stock Exchange. The Gambling Commission opened a Section 116 review, judged Nektan unsuitable to operate and suspended its licence, which meant its gambling services could no longer be offered lawfully. The Sun Play closed as a result. In plain terms it is no longer UKGC-licensed, is not on GamStop, and cannot be joined. Players at the time were told to withdraw balances, and Nektan’s UK consumer assets were later sold on during the administration.

The Sun Play Network at a Glance

• What it was: a Nektan white-label carrying The Sun’s branding, now closed.
• Old Nektan sisters: Kerching, Touch Lucky, GreatBritain Casino, Vita Casino, Monaco Riches and others, most now closed or moved on.
• Closest living Sun brand: Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo, run by VF2011 Limited, UK-licensed and still operating.
• For UK players now: the VF2011 Sun brands or another current UKGC casino, never a closed Nektan skin.

The Sun Play Sister Sites Compared

The Old Nektan Sisters and the Living Sun Brands

Kerching. One of the better-known Nektan white-labels, sharing The Sun Play’s Evolve platform, games network and back office. Like the rest of Nektan’s stable, it was caught up in the 2020 collapse and licence suspension. Relation to The Sun Play: a true former sister on the same platform, now defunct in its old form.

Touch Lucky. Another Nektan-powered brand with the same networked slots and bingo. It shared The Sun Play’s operator and software. Relation to The Sun Play: same Nektan roots, same closure risk that played out in 2020.

GreatBritain Casino. A patriotic-themed Nektan skin running the standard network library. Relation to The Sun Play: a sister by platform and operator, not a live UK option today.

Sun Vegas. This is the one to know. Sun Vegas is a current, UK-licensed casino carrying The Sun’s branding, but it is run by VF2011 Limited on the Playtech platform under licence 45110, a completely different operator from Nektan. It offers slots, table games and live dealer. Relation to The Sun Play: same newspaper branding, different and still-active company. For anyone who wanted a Sun-branded casino, this is the living version.

Sun Bingo. The longest-running Sun-branded site, also VF2011 / Playtech under the same UK licence as Sun Vegas, covering bingo, slots and live casino. Relation to The Sun Play: shares only the brand name, and unlike The Sun Play it is fully UK-licensed and open.

Fabulous Bingo. A News UK media-branded bingo site (after the Fabulous supplement), again run by VF2011 Limited on the same UK licence. Relation to The Sun Play: part of the genuine, live News UK gaming family, not the closed Nektan one.

The Complete Picture: Two Separate Sun Networks

• The closed Nektan network (The Sun Play’s real sisters): Kerching, Touch Lucky, GreatBritain Casino, Vita Casino, Monaco Riches and other Nektan white-labels, most shut or migrated after the 2020 collapse.
• The live VF2011 Sun family (different operator): Sun Bingo, Sun Vegas, Fabulous Bingo and Fabulous Vegas, all UK-licensed under VF2011 Limited (licence 45110) on Playtech.
• How to verify: the UK Gambling Commission register no longer lists Nektan as a valid operator, but it does list VF2011 Limited. Always confirm a brand on that register before depositing.

What Is the Same and What Is Different

Are These Official The Sun Play Sister Sites?

The genuine sisters of The Sun Play were the other Nektan white-labels, because they shared its operator and platform. They are mostly gone. The Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo brands share the newspaper name but not the operator, so they are best described as the living Sun-branded relatives rather than literal Sun Play sisters. Everything else marketed as a Sun Play sister is either a closed Nektan brand or an unrelated lookalike, which is why the register check matters.

The Sun Play Review

Operator details last reviewed: June 2026 (last updated 8 June 2026)

Updated June: confirmed The Sun Play closed in April 2020 with Nektan’s collapse and licence suspension, separated it from the live VF2011 Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo brands, and replaced the unrelated sister list.

The Sun Play traded on a big newspaper name, but under the bonnet it was a standard Nektan white-label: the same Evolve platform, the same networked games and the same terms as dozens of other Nektan casinos. It launched in 2017 and closed in April 2020 when Nektan went into administration and the Gambling Commission suspended the licence after a Section 116 review. So this is a record of a closed casino, not a live one.

What It Offered

While live, The Sun Play focused on slots from NetEnt, Microgaming, NYX and the wider Nektan network, wrapped in The Sun’s red branding. Reviewers at the time were lukewarm: the welcome bonus carried a heavy wagering requirement of around 60x, far above the UK’s later 10x cap (in force from 19 January 2026), and there were deposit and withdrawal fees plus a holding period before cashouts. Those terms looked dated even then.

Payments and Withdrawals

It took the usual UK methods in pounds, but charged fees on some mobile deposits and on small withdrawals, and held cashouts for a pending period. Combined with the high wagering, value for money was poor compared with mainstream UK casinos.

Responsible Gambling and Closure

As a then-UKGC brand it was on GamStop while it operated, but the closure and licence suspension ended that. Nektan’s administrator stated steps had been taken to protect customer funds, with the usual caveat that full repayment could not be guaranteed in insolvency. For help today, GamCare, BeGambleAware and GamStop are the right contacts. 18-plus throughout.

The Living Sun-Branded Option

If the appeal was a Sun-branded casino, the working version is Sun Vegas or Sun Bingo, run by VF2011 Limited on Playtech under UK licence 45110. They are fully UK-licensed, on GamStop, and subject to the 10x wagering cap, so they are a genuine, regulated alternative rather than a closed Nektan skin.

Key Facts

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Carried a recognisable newspaper brand and a reasonable networked slots range while it operated.
• Was UKGC-licensed during its lifetime, with GamStop cover at the time.
• There is a genuine, still-live Sun-branded alternative (Sun Vegas/Sun Bingo) for anyone who liked the theme.
• Administrators reported steps to protect customer funds at closure.

Cons

• The Sun Play is closed and no longer UKGC-licensed, so it cannot be used or recommended.
• Its old terms were poor: around 60x wagering plus deposit and withdrawal fees and a pending period.
• It was a generic Nektan white-label with little to set it apart beyond the branding.
• Its real Nektan sisters mostly closed too, so the network as a whole is defunct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Sun Play still open?

No. The Sun Play closed in April 2020 after its operator, Nektan, went into administration and the Gambling Commission suspended Nektan’s licence following a Section 116 review.

Who ran The Sun Play?

It was a white-label run by Nektan (Gibraltar) Limited on Nektan’s Evolve platform, carrying The Sun’s branding under a deal with News UK. It was not run by The Sun directly.

What were The Sun Play’s sister sites?

Its true sisters were other Nektan white-labels such as Kerching, Touch Lucky, GreatBritain Casino, Vita Casino and Monaco Riches. Most closed or migrated when Nektan collapsed.

Is The Sun Play the same as Sun Vegas or Sun Bingo?

No. They share The Sun branding but not the operator. Sun Vegas and Sun Bingo are run by VF2011 Limited on Playtech under UK licence 45110 and are still live, whereas The Sun Play was a closed Nektan brand.

Is The Sun Play on GamStop?

No. Because it closed and the Nektan licence was suspended, The Sun Play is not on GamStop. For self-exclusion, use a current UKGC site, and contact GamCare or BeGambleAware if you need support.

What is the best alternative to The Sun Play?

For a Sun-branded casino that still works, Sun Vegas or Sun Bingo from VF2011 Limited is the natural choice, as both are UK-licensed and on GamStop. Otherwise, any current UKGC casino with fair terms is a better bet than a closed Nektan skin.

Our Verdict on The Sun Play

As The Sun Play sister sites go, this is a network that no longer exists in any usable form. The Sun Play and its Nektan stablemates (Kerching, Touch Lucky, GreatBritain Casino and the rest) closed around 2020, and the product was a fee-laden, high-wagering white-label even before that, which is why it scores low. The one thing worth taking away is the distinction: if you wanted a Sun-branded casino, the living option is Sun Vegas or Sun Bingo from VF2011 Limited, which is properly UK-licensed and on GamStop. For anything else, pick a current UKGC casino and verify it on the register first.

New Sister Site rating: 3/10