How we rate casinos

Our Safety Index is a score from 0 to 10. It's calculated by our editors using a fixed checklist, and it's the only thing that decides the order of our rankings.

1. Licensing and ownership — 30%

We verify every licence in the regulator's public register and identify the company behind the brand. Tier-one regulators (UKGC, MGA, Sweden, Ontario) score highest. Curaçao licences score lower because of weaker dispute resolution.

2. Payouts — 25%

We deposit and withdraw real money using at least two payment methods and measure the time until the money actually arrives.

3. Terms fairness — 20%

We read the full terms and look for unfair clauses: confiscation rules, extreme max-bet rules, low withdrawal caps and dormant-account fees.

4. Complaints — 15%

We look at how the casino handles complaints on public forums and with ADR bodies.

5. Player tools — 10%

Deposit limits, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion must be easy to find and use.

What we don't do

We don't sell positions. Casinos can't pay to be rated higher, and a commercial relationship never changes a score.