A casino rating is only worth anything if you know how it was reached. Plenty of sites publish scores with no explanation of where they came from. We think that is the wrong way round. This article sets out exactly how we test and rate a non-Gamstop casino - the criteria, the weighting, the process, and the honest limits of what a review can tell you.

We operate four casinos in this space, which we disclose in our affiliate disclosure. That makes a transparent, interrogable methodology more important here, not less - you should be able to check our working.

The principle behind our approach

We assess casinos against fixed, published criteria - the same checks applied to every site, every time. A rating is the result of those checks, not a number we decide first and justify afterwards. You can read the full version any time on our methodology page; this article is the plain-English summary of how it works.

What we test, and why each one matters

1. Licensing and legitimacy

We verify the casino holds a real, checkable offshore licence and confirm the number on the regulator's own records. In 2026 this includes checking the licence against Curacao's reformed regime - the old master-licence model has been abolished in favour of direct, single-tier licences with real testing and a formal complaints process, so "Curacao licensed" now needs a closer look than it once did. This is pass-or-fail. A casino without a verifiable licence does not get rated at all - it gets rejected.

2. Fairness and game integrity

We check that games come from recognised providers, that return-to-player information is available, and that the casino uses tested random number generation. Unknown "providers" that appear nowhere else are a red flag.

3. Terms and conditions

We read the terms in full - bonus wagering, maximum bet during wagering, withdrawal limits, win caps. We are looking for terms that are clear, consistent and fair. For context, UKGC sites have been capped at 10x bonus wagering since January 2026; offshore sites are not bound by that, so we judge whether the operator has chosen reasonable terms voluntarily. Vague or contradictory terms cost a casino heavily.

4. Payment and payout performance

We test deposits and withdrawals across multiple methods, time how long payouts actually take, and note every fee. Stated withdrawal limits are checked against reality. Our payment methods guide explains why this varies so much between methods and operators.

5. Responsible-gambling tools

We confirm that deposit limits, loss limits, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion are present and actually work from inside an account - not just described on a policy page. This is weighted heavily, and it is non-negotiable.

6. Security and data handling

HTTPS across the site, recognised payment processors, and a clear, readable privacy policy that explains how your documents and data are handled.

7. Customer support

We contact support through every available channel with real questions, at different times of day, and assess speed, accuracy and whether we get a genuine answer or a script.

8. User experience

How the site performs on mobile and desktop, how easy it is to find the terms, and whether anything feels designed to mislead or to bury the information that matters.

How the criteria are weighted

Not every factor carries equal weight. Player protection comes first:

The things that can cost you money or harm your wellbeing are weighted above the things that are merely convenient.

The testing process, step by step

To make this concrete, here is the order we work in:

1. Licence verification. We find the licence number and confirm it on the regulator's records. No verification, no review.
2. Document review. We read the full terms and conditions, bonus terms and privacy policy before depositing anything.
3. Account creation and RG tools. We open an account and test every responsible-gambling tool from the inside.
4. Deposit and play. We fund the account across multiple payment methods and play across game types.
5. Support contact. We put real questions to support on each channel, at peak and off-peak times.
6. Withdrawal testing. We request withdrawals on multiple methods and time them against the stated limits.
7. Reputation scan. We search independent player feedback for patterns, weighting payout-related comments most heavily.
8. Scoring. We apply the weighting above to produce a rating, with the licence as a hard gate.

What we do not do

Being clear about this matters:

• We do not sell rankings. A casino cannot pay to be rated higher.
• We do not hide poor results. If a casino fails a check, that shows in the rating.
• We do not use "guaranteed" or "risk-free" language. Every game can lose. Any review that implies otherwise is not being honest with you.
• We do not rate a casino we cannot verify. No licence check, no review.

The honest limits of any review

A review is a careful snapshot, not a permanent guarantee. Casinos change owners, terms and payout behaviour - and in 2026, with Curacao's licensing regime mid-transition, some sites' regulatory status is genuinely shifting. We re-check the sites we cover, but you should still do your own due diligence: verify the licence yourself and read the current terms before depositing. Our 7-point checklist is built for exactly that.

A rating tells you what we found when we tested. It cannot tell you what an operator will do six months from now. That is why we tell readers to keep checking, not to outsource their judgement to a number.

Frequently asked questions

Can a casino pay you for a better score?

No. Rankings are not for sale. Our commercial model is that we operate the casinos we list - which we disclose fully - not that we take payment to move scores around.

How often do you re-test casinos?

We re-check the sites we cover on an ongoing basis, and sooner if something material changes - a licence transition, an ownership change, or a pattern of new payout complaints.

Why is the licence check pass-or-fail?

Because nothing else matters if a casino is not genuinely licensed. A great bonus and fast support are worthless if there is no real regulator and no real company behind the site.

Does a high score mean a casino is risk-free?

No. Every game can lose, and no review removes that. A high score means the operator passed our checks on legitimacy, terms, payouts and safety tools - not that gambling there is safe in the sense of guaranteed.

Why our list is short

Applying this methodology honestly means most casinos would not make a recommended list - and we are not willing to pad one out with brands we cannot stand behind. So we made a structural choice: we only list the four casinos our parent group operates - Cosmobet, Rolletto, Velobet and Zizobet. It means we have direct accountability for payout speed, fair terms and working safety tools on every site we recommend. That arrangement is explained in full, openly, in our affiliate disclosure and our companion article on the four casinos we operate.

A rating should be a tool you can interrogate, not a number you have to trust on faith. Now you can interrogate ours.

18+. Gamble responsibly. Free, confidential support: BeGambleAware, 0808 8020 133.