Our Methodology
How we rate — the Trust Index
We give every listed casino a single 0–10 Trust Index. The score means different things depending on how the brand entered the database.
Hand-vetted brands carry the full eight-factor score described below. Those factors are weighed and checked by our review team.
Auto-published brands carry a provisional capped rating based on licence verification and published offer terms. They are capped below the vetted set and do not carry the eight sub-scores or verified payout, RTP and game-count figures.
What we verify
Signals we check
- Licence and regulator. We check the operator’s licence against the regulator’s public register where possible. Cards show Licensed · jurisdiction for ADM, UKGC, MGA, Gibraltar and peers, or Offshore / International for Curaçao and similar — never a grey “unlicensed but fine” label. A valid licence is required to be listed; the badge is not the Trust Index.
- Accepted countries. We record the markets the operator says it accepts, but we do not independently verify every country restriction.
- Bonus terms. We research welcome-offer terms from published sources. Terms can change, so we ask readers to confirm the current offer before depositing.
We do not publish an RTP percentage, exact game count or exact payout window unless it has been independently verified for that brand.
The Breakdown
Eight weighted factors (hand-vetted brands only)
These weights apply only to brands that have been through the hand-vetting process. Auto-published brands do not receive sub-scores.
Complaints loop
How published complaints can feed the Trust Index
The complaints factor is 20% of a hand-vetted Trust Index. Player reports
land in PocketBase as private open cases. Staff may publish a PII-safe summary on
/complaints/
and optionally write a trustIndexNote — a documented field that records
how that case should inform the operator’s complaints sub-score.
We do not automatically change casinos.trustIndex or
subScores.complaints when a case is published. A helper
(suggestComplaintsSubScore) can propose a figure from real published cases only; it always returns
apply: false. Empty data yields no suggestion. An editor applies any score change by hand in Command
Center.
Using the score
Putting the Trust Index to work
See scores applied across every casino review, compare leaders on our best-casino shortlists, check how operators handle disputes in the complaint center, and see the responsible-gambling tools we expect every licensed site to provide.
Who signs the work
Author, reviewer, and how we tested
Every casino review and money comparison carries a dual byline: a named author from our experts desk and a second person marked Reviewed by. The reviewer is the compliance editor or the Trust Index methodologist — never an invented name. Under the byline, a dated How we tested block lists the checks that actually happened for that page, with a last-updated date.
Independence, corrections and sourcing sit in our editorial guidelines. If a score on this site disagrees with the method on this page, the method wins.
Commercial placement
Affiliate commission disclosure
Some outbound links to operators are affiliate links and earn us a commission if you sign up. Affiliate status must not influence a Trust Index score or ranking position. Commission is a separate commercial arrangement.
A small number of listing pages also include a clearly labelled Featured partner block at the top. These placements are paid commercial positions. They change the order in which those brands appear and nothing else. Every featured card shows a visible label and an explanation for screen-reader users. Once the featured block ends, the rest of the list resumes our standard order.
Commercial relationships are disclosed on every relevant page. If you believe a score has been influenced by commission, please contact us so we can investigate.