How we rate and review online casinos
How our independent team tests casinos such as Wintino: real-money accounts, timed withdrawals, weighted scoring across five categories, update schedule and affiliate disclosure.
By Daniel Hartley · Updated
Every score on this site comes from hands-on testing, not from press releases or a casino’s own marketing. This page explains who writes our reviews, what we actually do with each casino, and how a pile of notes and timestamps becomes a single number out of five. If you came here from our review, you can go straight back to our full Wintino review.
Who we are
We are a small independent editorial team of casino reviewers and payments specialists. We are not a casino, we are not owned by any operator, and we never hold player funds or accept bets. Our lead reviewer, Daniel Hartley, has tested online casinos for nine years; every review is fact-checked by a second editor, currently Megan O’Rourke, who compares bonus terms and payment limits against the casino’s own T&Cs before anything is published.
How we test a casino
We treat each casino the way a new player would, but we write everything down.
- Real account, real money. We register with genuine details, never with a special “reviewer” account, so we see the same sign-up flow and the same offers as you.
- Verification (KYC). We upload identity and address documents and record how long approval takes and whether the requests were reasonable.
- Deposit. We fund the account with at least two different methods, note minimums, fees and how quickly the money appears.
- Play and bonus check. We play slots, live tables and at least one game show, read the full bonus terms and, where practical, work through part of the wagering to see how realistic it is.
- Timed withdrawal. We request a cashout and log two timestamps: when the casino approves it and when the money actually lands. This is the single most important part of our test.
- Support test. We contact live chat and email several times at different hours with real questions — bonus rules, limits, document problems — and measure response time and accuracy.
- Mobile check. We repeat key steps on an iPhone and a mid-range Android phone.
We keep dated screenshots of every step so that any claim in a review can be traced back to evidence.
Our scoring criteria
Each casino is scored from 1 to 5 in five categories. The categories carry different weights because they matter differently to players: slow or unfair payouts hurt far more than a slightly smaller game lobby.
| Category | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Games & software | 25% | Size and variety of the lobby, quality of studios, live casino, RTP transparency, demo mode |
| Bonuses & terms | 20% | Real value after wagering, max-bet rules, time limits, clarity of T&Cs, ongoing promotions |
| Payments & payout speed | 25% | Method choice, fees, limits, verification process and our measured withdrawal time |
| Safety, licensing & responsible gambling | 20% | Stated licence and how easy it is to check, account security, deposit/loss limits, self-exclusion |
| Support & mobile | 10% | Live chat speed and accuracy, email replies, help centre, mobile site performance |
How the overall score is calculated
Within each category we score a checklist of specific points, then round the category to one decimal place. The overall rating is the weighted average of the five categories. For example, a casino scoring 4.8 for games, 4.3 for bonuses, 4.6 for payments, 4.4 for safety and 4.7 for support ends up at roughly 4.6 out of 5.
A few problems cap the score regardless of the maths: an unexplained withdrawal delay beyond the casino’s own stated times, confiscated winnings without a clear rule, or missing responsible gambling tools limit the overall rating to 3.0 until the issue is resolved. Player opinions shown on our pages are displayed separately and never feed into our editorial score.
How often we update reviews
Casino terms change constantly, so a review is only useful if it is current.
- We re-check bonus terms and payment limits every month.
- We repeat the full deposit-and-withdrawal test at least once a quarter.
- We update immediately when a casino changes a headline offer, its licence information or its withdrawal rules, or when several readers report the same problem.
Each review shows a “last updated” date and a short changelog near the bottom of the page so you can see what changed and when.
Affiliate disclosure and editorial independence
This site is funded through affiliate partnerships. When you follow some of our links to a casino and open an account, we may receive a commission. It costs you nothing extra.
Commercial relationships never decide a score. Casinos cannot pay for a higher rating, review copies are not sent to operators for approval, and we publish negative findings even when a partnership exists. If a casino we recommend stops treating players fairly, we lower the score or remove the recommendation.
Responsible gambling
Online gambling is only for adults aged 18 or over, or the legal age where you live. It can be addictive and you can lose money, so treat it as paid entertainment and never as a way to make an income.
- Set a deposit limit and a time limit before your first session.
- Never chase losses or gamble with money needed for bills.
- Use cool-off and self-exclusion tools if you feel you are losing control.
Free, confidential help is available from BeGambleAware, GamCare and Gamblers Anonymous, which also lists local meetings in many countries. If you are outside the UK, your national gambling regulator’s website will list local helplines.
Corrections and contact
We work hard to get facts right, but casinos change their terms and mistakes happen. If you spot something outdated or wrong in any review, tell us — include the page, the detail and, if possible, a screenshot. We check every report, correct confirmed errors quickly and note the change in the review’s update log.
Ready to see this method in practice? Read our Wintino review for the full test results, scores and player opinions.