Written by Marcus Reed, Senior Casino Analyst · Published: 01.11.2026 · Last updated: 01.11.2026
Every casino review on this site concludes with a rating. This page explains how we rate online casinos — precisely how that rating is produced — so you can decide for yourself whether a casino deserves your money, and whether our recommendation deserves your trust.
A favorable review cannot be purchased. Affiliate commission never affects our ratings. When a casino performs poorly, we state that openly, even when it reduces our revenue. This page documents the criteria, the weights, the testing process, and the licensing policy behind every review we publish.
Next scheduled review: 01.02.2027.
How we test — and what we have tested so far
A casino review based only on the operator’s own marketing is worthless. Our long-term process, applied to every review from [launch date + N months], is:
- Open a genuine account using our own funds (or a test budget assigned by the editorial team).
- Top up using two or more payment options, depositing at least the minimum.
- Submit a withdrawal request and record the real processing time — not the figure quoted on the site.
- Ask customer support a genuine question (for example, about bonus terms) and log both response time and answer quality.
- Try to clear a welcome bonus and note where the terms become difficult to meet.
- When the authority offers a public register, check the licence against it directly.
- Examine independent complaint data (AskGamblers, Trustpilot, regulator publications) covering the previous 12 months.
As we launch, reviews are based on documented operator terms, public licence registers, and independent complaint data. Direct testing — as described above — is being rolled out with each new review. Every review states explicitly what was tested and what was not. If a withdrawal has not been tested, the review says so. No claim in a review is made without a traceable source.
If direct testing is impossible — for instance, when a licence cannot be confirmed with the authority — the review states this explicitly and the score is reduced accordingly.
The nine criteria we score
Every casino is assessed against nine criteria, each carrying a fixed weight in the final rating. The weights reflect what matters most to a player who is about to deposit real money — not what is easiest to write about.
| # | Criterion | Weight | What we check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licensing & regulation | 20% | Issuing authority, licence number, expiry, jurisdiction reputation, player-protection rules |
| 2 | Safety & security | 10% | SSL, segregated funds, KYC/AML procedures, security incident history, privacy policy |
| 3 | Bonuses & terms | 15% | Welcome offer, wagering conditions, max bet, game contribution, expiry, term clarity, hidden clauses |
| 4 | Payments & withdrawals | 15% | Deposit and withdrawal options, measured processing time (not advertised), fees, min/max limits, crypto support |
| 5 | Games & software | 10% | Game count, software suppliers, RTP disclosure, live dealer quality, mobile performance |
| 6 | Customer support | 10% | Contact channels, measured response time, answer quality, languages, opening hours |
| 7 | Responsible gambling | 10% | Deposit and session limits, self-exclusion, reality checks, links to help organisations |
| 8 | User experience | 5% | Site speed, navigation, sign-up flow, mobile app (if available), accessibility |
| 9 | Reputation & track record | 5% | Independent complaint data, Trustpilot trends, payout dispute history, years in operation |
The weights add up to 100%. No criterion is curved: a weak licence cannot be offset by a large bonus.
How the final score is calculated
Each criterion is scored on a 1–10 scale. The final rating is a weighted average:
Final score = Σ (criterion score × weight)
A worked example:
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing & regulation | 8 | 0.20 | 1.60 |
| Safety & security | 7 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| Bonuses & terms | 6 | 0.15 | 0.90 |
| Payments & withdrawals | 8 | 0.15 | 1.20 |
| Games & software | 9 | 0.10 | 0.90 |
| Customer support | 7 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| Responsible gambling | 6 | 0.10 | 0.60 |
| User experience | 8 | 0.05 | 0.40 |
| Reputation & track record | 7 | 0.05 | 0.35 |
| Final score | 7.35 / 10 |
Score interpretation:
- 9.0–10.0 — Exceptional. Recommended without caveats.
- 8.0–8.9 — Strong. Recommended; minor caveats noted.
- 7.0–7.9 — Good. Playable, but read the specific caveats in the review.
- 6.0–6.9 — Average. Proceed with caution.
- Below 6.0 — Not recommended. Specific risks are listed in the review.
If a criterion cannot be assessed — for example, a licence cannot be verified with the issuing authority — it is scored as 1, not excluded from the calculation. This prevents casinos from benefiting from unverifiable claims.
Licensing policy
We only review casinos that hold a valid gambling licence from a recognised authority. Casinos operating without a licence are not reviewed on this site.
Licences are not all equal, and our scoring reflects this:
- Tier 1 authorities (MGA, UKGC, Gibraltar, Alderney) — full points on the licensing criterion.
- Tier 2 authorities (Curaçao, Anjouan, Kahnawake, Panama) — reduced points, with the specific jurisdiction and its player-protection record noted in the review.
- Unverifiable or claimed-but-unconfirmed licences — scored as 1 and flagged prominently in the review.
If a casino’s licence is suspended between reviews, the review is updated immediately and the score is adjusted.
What we never do
Several practices are deliberately excluded from this site:
- Paid rankings are not offered. Position in our rankings is never for sale. Commission has zero bearing on scores.
- No “best casino” lists shaped by affiliate payouts. A larger commission never lifts a casino up the list. A casino that pays us nothing but performs well can still rank.
- No invented testing claims. Withdrawals we haven’t tested are never passed off as tested. Every tested claim in a review is dated.
- Reviews are kept current. Each review displays when it was last revised. When a casino alters its terms, we update the review and explain what changed.
- Affiliate links are never concealed. Any page with partner links displays a clear, visible notice. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
How often we update reviews
Casino terms shift constantly — bonuses expire, payment options appear or disappear, licences are suspended. A review left untouched for half a year risks giving readers a false picture.
- Every review is re-checked at least once every 90 days (about 3 months).
- Bonus terms are re-verified every 30 days, as they change most often.
- Licence status is checked quarterly against the issuing authority’s public register.
- Major developments (licence suspension, a spike in payout complaints, revised terms) trigger an immediate update, regardless of the schedule.
The “last updated” date at the top of each review reflects the most recent verification, not the original publication date.
Who writes the reviews
Every review and top-list on this site is written or edited by a named author with a visible profile. Anonymous casino reviews are not published.
- Authors have practical experience of online gambling — as players, industry analysts, or both. Each author page lists their background and areas of expertise. See Marcus Reed’s profile.
- Reviews are edited by Elena Voss, Managing Editor, with fact-checking of licence numbers, bonus terms, and payment details. See Elena Voss’s profile.
- Conflicts of interest are disclosed. If an author has a relationship with a casino operator, that author does not review that casino.
The full team appears on the About page.
How we handle complaints and corrections
If you believe a review contains an error — an incorrect bonus term, an outdated licence, a payment method that no longer works — contact us at corrections@exbinog.com. Every correction request is investigated, and the review is updated if the error is confirmed.
If you have a dispute with a casino we reviewed, we cannot resolve it on your behalf — but verified complaint patterns can be taken into account in future updates. Our Contact page is the place to get in touch.
See the methodology in action
Read a full review to see how the nine criteria, the weighted score, and the testing process come together:
Common questions
Do you get paid for your reviews?
We receive commission when a reader registers at a casino via our links. Scores and rankings remain unaffected; see Affiliate Disclosure for details.
Can a casino pay to improve its score?
No. Scores are calculated from the nine criteria above. Scores, top-list placement, and negative findings are not for sale.
How is a casino licence verified?
Where a public register exists, we check the licence number against the issuing authority’s records. If verification is not possible, the review says so and the licensing criterion is scored accordingly.
Why do some casinos have low scores despite big bonuses?
Because a bonus does not compensate for a weak licence, slow withdrawals, or poor support. A large bonus with 60x wagering and a 7-day expiry is not a good bonus — and we score it as such.
How do I flag a mistake in a review?
Send the review link and the exact detail you think is incorrect to exbinoghelp@gmail.com. Expect a reply within 5 business days.
Final thoughts
Our aim is straightforward: provide enough detail for you to choose with confidence. When a casino deserves praise, we explain why. When it falls short, we say so directly and walk you through the reasoning.
Read our Affiliate Disclosure and Responsible Gambling pages for the full picture.