How We Rank Casinos: Testing Method and Editorial Policy

The seven criteria, in order of weight

Casinos are scored on the points below. The first three carry the most weight because they decide what a blackjack or live table player actually gets at the felt; the last four decide the experience around it.

Table rules and payout. A natural pays 3:2 at every standard blackjack table, the dealer stands on soft 17 and double after split is allowed. A casino that mixes in 6:5 tables is ranked lower; one that deals only 6:5 is excluded.
Live lobby depth. Two or more live studios, a seven-seat and an unlimited-seat format, and dealers on the main tables around the clock score in full; a single-studio lobby loses points; a casino with no live tables can be listed on the blackjack and casino pages for its RNG suite but is excluded from the live casino ranking.
Limits in Australian dollars. Accounts held in AUD, minimums at AU$1 or below, maximums at AU$10,000 or above, no conversion on deposit or withdrawal.
Banking speed. PayID or an equivalent instant AUD deposit, a crypto withdrawal route that clears within an hour, and a stated withdrawal time per method.
Bonus terms for table games. Live cashback, reloads and a published game contribution for blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Welcome packages written for pokies only are not counted in a casino's favour.
Mobile performance. The live lobby in an iOS and Android browser over 4G, with an SD toggle and no app required.
Licence and support. A licence seal that links to the regulator, an independent testing certificate for RNG games, two-factor authentication and chat support that answers in Australian evening hours.

The criteria are the same for every game page; what changes is the lobby being tested. On the live casino page criterion two carries the most weight, on the blackjack page criterion one does.

How each casino is tested

A casino is not listed on the strength of its website. The testing sequence below is run from an Australian connection before a casino appears in any ranking, and repeated at each update.

Open an account with real details and complete the identity check, noting how long it takes and what documents are requested.
Deposit via PayID or a card, then via crypto, and record the time each deposit takes to appear in AUD.
Play at least 100 hands of blackjack across the live lobby and the RNG tables, checking the payout line on each table, the dealer rule and the seat limit.
Open roulette, baccarat and at least one game show to confirm studios, minimum bets and stream quality on a phone.
Contact support with a question about bonus contribution for table games and record the response time and the accuracy of the answer.
Withdraw via the fastest route and via a bank method, and record the time from request to arrival.

Table counts and limits quoted on the site are what the lobby showed on the test date, rounded down. Withdrawal times are what was recorded, stated as ranges rather than minutes because they vary by hour and by bank.

Ratings on the 5-point scale

Each casino carries a rating out of 5 next to its name in the ranking. The rating is the editorial score from the seven criteria above, not an average of visitor votes, and the structured data on the page says so. The scale works as follows.

Rating	Meaning
4.7 – 5.0	Meets every criterion; the best option for that game or feature on the page
4.3 – 4.6	Meets every criterion with one trade-off, such as a higher minimum bet or a slower bank route
4.0 – 4.2	Meets the core criteria; one or two details still to be verified or a smaller lobby
Below 4.0	Not listed. A casino that falls below 4.0 at a review is removed from the ranking

Ratings move when the facts move: a casino that adds a studio or shortens its withdrawal time goes up at the next review, one that introduces a 6:5 table goes down or out.

Affiliate links and editorial order

The site is funded by affiliate commissions. When a reader opens an account through a casino link on this site, the casino pays a commission; the reader pays nothing extra and receives the same terms as a direct sign-up. Those links carry the sponsored attribute and open in a new tab. The commission does not set the order of any ranking and does not set a rating: the order follows the criteria above, and a casino that offers a higher commission but fails a criterion is ranked below one that pays less and passes. A casino that pays no commission at all can still be listed if it passes.

What is not accepted

Paid positions, paid reviews or any payment for a rating.
Gifts, free play, VIP hospitality or any benefit beyond the standard affiliate commission.
Casino-supplied copy. Every description on the site is written from the test session.
Promotional codes supplied by a casino for insertion into an article.

Updates and corrections

Every article shows its last update date at the top. Rankings are reviewed at least once a quarter and whenever a listed casino changes its licence, its banking methods or its blackjack rules. Errors reported through the contact page are checked against the test records and corrected in the text, with the update date changed to reflect it. The site does not use mirror links or alternate casino addresses; a casino's current address is published on its own official channels.

Who does the work

All testing, writing and rating is done by Christopher Bowler, who plays at the casinos he reviews with his own money. His background in blackjack, poker and probability is the reason the site talks about house edge and bet sizing rather than about excitement. More on the about page.