Every casino on CasinoBonusesGuide is scored the same way, by the same team, against the same nine criteria — before it earns a place on any list. This page explains exactly how that works, what each factor is worth, and why we sometimes rate a well-known brand below a smaller one. We update scores as licences, bonuses and payout performance change, so a rating here reflects the operator today, not the day it launched.
Our nine ranking criteria (and what each is worth)
We weight the factors that actually protect a player’s money and time more heavily than marketing. The weights below are the ones we apply to every toplist on the site.
- Licence validity — 20%. We confirm the licence number on the regulator’s own public register, not just the logo in the footer. An unverifiable licence caps the whole score.
- Measured withdrawal time — 20%. How long a real cashout actually takes, by method, including any pending period and KYC step — not the “24–48h” marketing line.
- Bonus value after wagering — 15%. What a welcome offer is really worth once you account for wagering, max bet, game weighting, expiry and max cashout.
- Payment methods — 10%. Realistic deposit and withdrawal options for players in the relevant country, with fees and limits.
- Game library and providers — 10%. Breadth and quality of slots, live casino and table games from audited studios (Evolution, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt and others).
- Country availability — 10%. Whether the site genuinely accepts and serves players from the country the list is written for, without surprise geo-blocks.
- Support — 5%. A live-chat test in the site’s own language, judged on speed and whether the answers were accurate.
- Responsible-gambling tools — 5%. Deposit, loss and session limits, reality checks, cool-off and self-exclusion, plus links to local help.
- Complaint history — 5%. Patterns in public complaint data (AskGamblers, Casino Guru, Trustpilot). We read the substance of disputes; we never copy another site’s star rating as our own.
How the final score is built
Each criterion is scored, weighted and combined into a single rating out of 5. A high bonus never rescues a weak licence, and a big game library never offsets slow or unreliable payouts — the weighting is deliberately tilted toward safety and getting paid. Where a casino genuinely falls short, we publish a lower score and say plainly why, rather than inflating it.
We test, we don’t guess
Wherever we can, our findings come from hands-on checks: opening an account, making a deposit, requesting a withdrawal and timing it, reading the actual terms, and asking support real questions. Where a figure is stated by the operator rather than independently timed by us, we label it as operator-stated. We never invent payout times, bonus terms or licence details.
Keeping ratings honest
Scores are reviewed regularly and change when the facts change — a licence lapses, wagering terms tighten, payouts slow down. We also note conflicts of interest: some outbound links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission, but commission never buys a place on a list or a higher score. See our responsible gambling guidance and the legal overview for the context behind every ranking.
