How we rate betting and casino sites
Two questions decide what we say about a site: is its offer fair once you've read the terms, and does the site treat you well after you sign up? Here's how we answer both.
The licence comes first
We only cover operators licensed where the reader is: by the Gambling Commission for Great Britain, and by the state regulator for each US state. We check the regulator's public records before we write a word about a site. If a licence lapses, the site comes off our pages.
The small print verdict
Every offer we cover gets one of three verdicts. Each comes with the terms that decided it and the date we checked them.
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fair | The terms are clear, and a typical player can meet them without falling into a trap. |
| Read carefully | The offer is usable, but one condition catches people out: a short time limit, high minimum odds, a payment exclusion or a winnings cap. |
| Avoid | The terms make the offer hard to use or worth very little, contradict each other, or can't be found. |
The WO Score
Sites get a WO Score out of 10. It's a weighted average of five parts:
| Part | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Small print and offers | 25% | How clear and fair the bonus terms are, and how often they change. |
| Payments and withdrawals | 25% | Payment methods, fees, withdrawal times and identity checks. |
| Safety and control | 20% | Licence history, action by regulators, and the tools that help you limit your play. |
| Betting and games | 15% | Odds, markets, the range of games and features. |
| Help and usability | 15% | Support channels, account management and how easy the site is to use. |
Where our information comes from
Until a review says otherwise, our verdicts and scores come from what we can check without opening an account: the operator's published terms, the regulator's records, payment pages and help centres.
When we've opened an account and used real money, the review says so plainly, along with what we tested and when.
How often we re-check
We re-check offer terms at least once a month, and whenever we see an operator change them. Every verdict shows the day we last checked it. If you spot an offer that has changed before we have, email editor@wagerobserver.com.
What never affects a rating
- Commission and advertising. What an operator pays us never changes its verdict or its score. If the order of a list is ever influenced by a commercial arrangement, that page says so.
- Operator requests. Operators can point out factual errors, and we'll fix them. They can't change our opinion.