Editorial Policy & Review Methodology

UKGC Licence Verification

Day 1

Process:

1. Check the site footer for the licence number
2. Search UKGC Public Register
3. Verify “Active” status
4. Confirm the licence holder matches the operator name
5. Check for regulatory warnings or actions

Pass/Fail: Sites without valid UKGC licences are immediately rejected.

Account Creation & Verification

Day 1–2

Process:

1. Register using real personal details
2. Verify email address
3. Upload ID verification (passport or driving licence)
4. Submit proof of address (utility bill within 3 months)
5. Track verification processing time

What we evaluate:

• Ease of registration process
• Verification speed (industry standard: 24-48 hours)
• Communication during verification
• Whether multiple documents are requested

Rating impact: Slow verification (5+ days) or excessive document requests negatively affect the User Experience score.

Welcome Bonus Testing

Day 2–7

Process:

1. Deposit the minimum required amount (usually £10)
2. Claim the welcome bonus
3. Read full terms and conditions
4. Calculate actual wagering requirements
5. Test if bonus credits are correct
6. Track wagering progress
7. Identify any hidden restrictions

What we evaluate:

Wagering Requirements:

• Excellent: 4x-8x bingo
• Fair: 10x-20x bingo
• Poor: 30x-40x bingo
• Unacceptable: 50x+ or requirements including slots at lower contribution rates

Time Limits:

• Excellent: 30+ days
• Fair: 14-30 days
• Poor: 7-14 days
• Unacceptable: Under 7 days

Game Restrictions:

• We note if specific bingo rooms are excluded
• We check if wagering only counts on certain games
• We verify if slot play contributes at lower rates

Maximum Win Caps:

• Acceptable: £500+ or no cap
• Poor: £100-£500
• Unacceptable: Under £100 on deposit bonuses

Rating impact: Bonus fairness accounts for 20% of the overall rating. Predatory terms (60x wagering, 3-day expiry) significantly reduce scores.

Game Testing

Day 3–10

Process:

1. Test all available bingo variants (90-ball, 75-ball, 80-ball, speed)
2. Join multiple rooms at different ticket price points
3. Evaluate room frequency (how often games start)
4. Test auto-daub functionality
5. Assess chat room activity and moderation
6. Play slot games (if applicable to bonus)
7. Check jackpot information and prize transparency

What we evaluate:

Game Variety (15% of rating):

• Excellent: 20+ rooms, all 4 bingo variants, frequent games
• Good: 10-20 rooms, 3 variants, hourly games
• Poor: Under 10 rooms, 2 variants, infrequent games

Platform Stability:

• Connection quality
• Game loading times
• Frequency of errors or disconnections

Community Features:

• Active chat rooms
• Friendly chat moderators
• Chat games and mini-competitions

Rating impact: Limited game selection or technical issues reduce Game Variety score.

Customer Support Testing

Day 5–12

Process:

1. Contact live chat (if available) with a basic question
2. Contact live chat with a complex question
3. Send email enquiry
4. Test phone support (if available)
5. Ask deliberately obscure questions to test knowledge
6. Evaluate response quality, speed, and helpfulness

Test questions include:

• “What’s your RTP for 90-ball bingo?” (tests knowledge)
• “Can I withdraw whilst wagering is incomplete?” (tests accuracy)
• “My withdrawal was declined—why?” (tests problem-solving)

What we evaluate:

Response Times (10% of rating):

• Excellent: Live chat under 2 minutes, email under 4 hours
• Good: Live chat 2-5 minutes, email 4-24 hours
• Poor: Live chat 5+ minutes, email 24-48 hours
• Unacceptable: No live chat, email over 48 hours

Support Quality:

• Knowledge of the platform and policies
• Friendliness and professionalism
• Problem-solving ability
• UK-based vs offshore (noted but not penalised)

Availability:

• 24/7 support (excellent)
• 10am-midnight (good)
• Business hours only (acceptable)
• Limited hours (poor)

Rating impact: Poor support significantly reduces the Customer Support score.

Withdrawal Testing

Day 7–14

Process:

1. Complete wagering requirements (if bonus claimed)
2. Request withdrawal via the fastest method (usually PayPal)
3. Track approval time (site processing)
4. Track payment time (when funds arrive)
5. Note any additional verification requests
6. Test alternative withdrawal method (debit card)

What we evaluate:

Withdrawal Speed (15% of rating):

• Excellent: PayPal under 24 hours, cards 2-3 days
• Good: PayPal 24-48 hours, cards 3-5 days
• Poor: PayPal 2-5 days, cards 5-7 days
• Unacceptable: Over 7 days without a valid reason

Verification Requirements:

• Initial ID verification is standard (not penalised)
• Excessive additional requests reduce the User Experience score

Withdrawal Limits:

• We note minimum withdrawal amounts (£10 standard)
• We check for maximum daily/weekly withdrawal caps

Payment Method Restrictions:

• We verify which methods are available
• We test if withdrawal matches the deposit method requirement

Rating impact: Slow withdrawals (5+ days) significantly reduce the Withdrawal Speed score.

Mobile Testing

Throughout the testing period

Process:

1. Download native apps (iOS and Android, if available)
2. Test the mobile website on both platforms
3. Evaluate game selection on mobile
4. Test deposit and withdrawal functionality
5. Assess navigation and user interface
6. Check auto-daub and notifications
7. Compare the mobile to the desktop experience

What we evaluate:

Mobile Experience (10% of rating):

• Excellent: Native app, full game library, smooth performance
• Good: Mobile site, 90%+ games available, fast loading
• Poor: Mobile site, limited games, slow loading
• Unacceptable: No mobile optimisation

Key Features:

• Auto-daub reliability
• Push notifications for game starts
• One-tap deposit options (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
• Touch-optimised interface

Rating impact: Poor mobile experience reduces the Mobile Experience score.

Ongoing Monitoring

Monthly audits

Process:

1. Re-verify UKGC licence status
2. Check for bonus term changes
3. Monitor player complaints (Trustpilot, forums)
4. Re-test withdrawal speeds periodically
5. Verify site remains operational
6. Update reviews when changes occur

Why this matters:

• Bonus terms frequently change
• UKGC licences can be suspended
• Site quality can improve or decline
• Withdrawal speeds may increase

When we update reviews:

• Immediately: UKGC licence suspended/revoked
• Within 24 hours: Significant bonus term changes (e.g., 4x to 40x wagering)
• Within 1 week: Site closure or major technical issues
• Monthly: Routine updates to ensure accuracy