How we test
How We Assess Casinos — The GambleDragon Methodology
Every rating on GambleDragon comes from the same fixed scoring model, applied identically to every operator. We do not eyeball, vibe-check, or copy from press releases — and we are honest about our method: our assessment is evidence-based, built from publicly verifiable sources, not from undercover account-by-account testing.
This page explains what each datapoint measures, where the evidence comes from, and how the final rating is calculated. If our score ever does not match your experience, email [email protected] and we will re-check the public record.
What our assessment is based on
We score each operator from sources anyone can check:
- Regulator public registers — for licence status (UKGC, MGA, and others).
- Operators’ own published terms — T&Cs, bonus rules, payment pages, stated processing times.
- Game providers’ published RTP sheets — to cross-check the RTP an operator advertises.
- Public complaint records — AskGamblers, Casino.Guru, Trustpilot and similar, for dispute volume and resolution.
- The live public site — for payment options, responsible-gambling tools, game counts and mobile performance (via Lighthouse).
What we do not do, and will not claim: we do not deposit real money, run undercover withdrawal timings, submit KYC documents, open throwaway accounts, or contact support anonymously. Where a figure can only come from inside an account — such as a withdrawal time — we report what the operator states and what public complaint records suggest, and we label it as such rather than presenting it as our own test result.
The 12 datapoints
| # | Datapoint | Weight | Evidence source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licence verification | 15% | Licence number checked against the regulator’s public register |
| 2 | Withdrawal speed | 15% | Operator-stated processing times + public payout-experience reports |
| 3 | Payment methods | 10% | Methods published on the operator’s cashier page, weighted for the locale |
| 4 | Customer support | 10% | Stated channels and hours + public reports of responsiveness |
| 5 | Terms & Conditions | 8% | Published T&Cs read for readability and flagged predatory clauses |
| 6 | RTP transparency | 7% | Whether per-game RTP is published and matches provider sheets |
| 7 | Complaint handling | 7% | Public-record disputes and resolution rate over the past 12 months |
| 8 | Deposit limit tools | 6% | Tools published on the site (daily/weekly/monthly + cooling-off) |
| 9 | Self-exclusion path | 6% | Stated integration with the locale’s registry (GAMSTOP, Cruks, etc.) |
| 10 | KYC process | 6% | Operator-stated verification process + public reports of delays |
| 11 | Mobile UX | 5% | Google Lighthouse on the live public site + manual flow review |
| 12 | Game library | 5% | Published game count and provider count, balance across categories |
The final rating is a weighted score on a 0–10 scale, shown to one decimal place. We round honestly — 8.45 becomes 8.5, 8.44 becomes 8.4.
How each datapoint is scored
1 — Licence verification (15%)
We do not trust the logo in the footer. We take the stated licence number and look it up in the regulator’s public database:
- UK: Gambling Commission Public Register
- Malta: MGA Licensee Register
- Ontario: iGO registered operators
If the licence number does not appear, or the registered company name does not match the site, the operator fails this datapoint and we do not publish a rating until it is resolved.
2 — Withdrawal speed (15%)
We report the operator’s stated processing time for each method, cross-referenced against public payout-experience reports (AskGamblers, forums, Trustpilot). This is the honest position: we do not run our own timed withdrawals, so a figure such as “≈6 hours median” reflects what the operator states and what players publicly report, not an internal stopwatch. Where the public record contradicts the stated time, the public record wins and the score drops.
3 — Payment methods (10%)
We count methods relevant to the target locale, not the global total. For a UK review, credit cards do not count (banned for gambling since April 2020), but Open Banking, PayPal and Apple Pay do. For Canada, Interac matters; for Ireland, Trustly and Revolut are differentiators.
4 — Customer support (10%)
We record the channels an operator offers (live chat, email, phone), the stated hours, and what public reviews say about responsiveness. We do not stage anonymous support queries; this datapoint reflects published provision plus the public reputation record.
5 — Terms & Conditions (8%)
We read the published bonus and general T&Cs for readability and flag predatory clauses — for example: maximum cash-out caps below 5× deposit, withdrawal voiding on undefined “irregular play”, bonus expiry under 14 days, or undisclosed currency-conversion fees. Each flag is a deduction.
6 — RTP transparency (7%)
A trustworthy operator publishes per-game RTP and it matches the provider’s official sheet (NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, etc.). Many providers ship 88% / 92% / 96% variants of the same title; we check the published on-site RTP against the provider value for a sample of popular slots.
7 — Complaint handling (7%)
We pull public-record disputes from AskGamblers, Casino.Guru and Trustpilot for the past 12 months and look at volume and the share resolved within a reasonable window. A consistently poor public resolution record is a red flag.
8 — Deposit limit tools (6%)
The operator must publish daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits, ideally settable before the first deposit, plus cooling-off and session alerts. UKGC operators are mandated to provide these, but the published UX varies.
9 — Self-exclusion path (6%)
We check that the operator states integration with the locale’s national self-exclusion registry: GAMSTOP (UK), Cruks (Netherlands), iGaming Ontario’s programme, and so on.
10 — KYC process (6%)
We summarise the operator’s stated verification process and weigh it against public reports of verification delays (a common withdrawal-stalling complaint). We do not submit documents ourselves.
11 — Mobile UX (5%)
We run Google Lighthouse on the live public mobile site and capture performance, LCP, TBT and CLS, then review the public deposit-and-cashier flow.
12 — Game library (5%)
Published total games, provider count, and the balance across slots, live dealer, table and instant-win. A well-stocked library from many recognised providers scores higher than a turnkey white-label with one or two unknown studios.
How the final rating is calculated
Each datapoint is scored 0–10 against a fixed rubric, and the weighted sum is the final rating. For example, an operator scoring Licence 10, Withdrawal 8, Payments 9, Support 7, T&Cs 8, RTP 9, Complaints 8, Deposit limits 10, Self-exclusion 10, KYC 7, Mobile 8, Games 9 would receive 8.6 / 10. The commission an operator pays us is not an input to this calculation.
When we re-check
- When a reader reports a problem with an operator.
- When an operator changes licence jurisdiction, ownership, or payment processor.
- On a rolling basis for operators in our best-of lists.
Every rating shows a “Last verified” date. An old date means the page is due for a re-check against current public sources.
Coverage vs partnership
You will see two kinds of operator pages:
- Featured partner. An operator we have a tracked affiliate relationship with. The page has a “Visit” CTA and we earn commission if you sign up after clicking it. The relationship is disclosed on the page, on the affiliate-disclosure page, and on every best-of list that includes the operator.
- Coverage only. An operator we have rated but have no partnership with. No CTA, no tracker, no commission. The page exists so readers can compare against partners on equal footing.
The scoring model is the same for both. Partnership does not change weights, deductions, or re-check cadence — only whether a tracked link appears.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deposit real money to test casinos?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Our assessment is built from publicly verifiable sources — regulator registers, published terms, provider RTP sheets, public complaint records and the live site. Where a figure can only come from inside an account, such as a withdrawal time, we report what the operator states and what players publicly report, and label it as such.
Does paying you change a casino’s rating?
No. Rankings are ordered by the methodology score, and the commission rate is not part of that score. See our affiliate disclosure.
Why a 0–10 scale rather than 100?
Because the noise floor on a 100-point scale is wider than the meaningful differences between operators. A 0–10 scale with one decimal lines up with what the evidence can actually distinguish.
How do I report an inaccurate rating?
Email [email protected] with the URL and the specific claim you dispute. We respond within a couple of working days and publish corrections with a visible “Updated” date.
Do you rate casinos that pay you nothing?
Yes. Coverage-only operators earn us nothing and carry no link. We include them so readers can compare partners against non-partners on the same scale.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. Support: GamCare (0808 8020 133) · BeGambleAware. Always verify an operator’s licence on the regulator’s public register before depositing.