How We Rank Online Gambling Sites

Gambling site criteria: the ten checks behind our score

Every casino in our database receives a score out of 10, and the same formula applies to every casino on every page. Our score is calculated, not hand-picked: ten checks from our casino database — an AUD bonus, wagering at or below 40x, a no-deposit offer, PayID, Neosurf, crypto, a minimum deposit of A$20 or less, a stated payout time within 24 hours, a named licence and operator, and the size of the game lobby — each worth up to one point, for a score out of 10. Missing data scores zero, and the score changes when the terms do.

The table sets out these gambling site criteria in full, with the points each one can earn. Half points apply where the record meets a softer version of the check.

Because the checks only read fields from our records, anyone can recount a score from the facts in a review. Each review shows the score and names the checks a casino missed, so a 7.5 is never a mystery. A high score means the record is complete and the terms are in the player's favour on paper; it is not a promise of good service or of a win.

What the scores look like across the database

On the collection of 4 November 2026 our database held 79 casinos, with an average score of 6.3. Nine casinos scored 9 or more, led by HellSpin and 7Bit at 9.5. Most sit between 5 and 8.5, and five casinos scored below 3, mainly because too little of their data is published. A low score often says more about missing information than about the casino itself.

How we rank gambling sites in lists and the catalogue

How we rank gambling sites on lists follows directly from the score. Cards on our category pages and the default order of the catalogue run from the highest score down, and a tie between equal scores is not a judgement of merit. Sorting the catalogue by minimum deposit or name only changes the view; it never changes a score.

Category pages apply the same score to a narrower question. A crypto list only includes casinos with crypto in the cashier, and a list of new casinos only includes brands launched in 2024 or 2025, but the order inside each list is still the score. We do not move a casino up because of a commercial relationship or a famous name.

Reviews then add the context a number cannot hold. Each review covers the same seven areas: licence and operator, Australian access, bonus terms such as time limits and maximum bets, payment methods in each direction, payout speed and limits, games and providers, and responsible-gambling tools. These gambling site criteria do not change the score; they explain it and show where sources disagree.

What the score does not capture

Some findings matter more than any number, so reviews call them out in plain text next to the score. These are the flags we look for.

• No licence and no operator named anywhere we can find.
• Terms that list Australia as a restricted country, or a site banner asking visitors to confirm they are outside Australia.
• A bonus headline that does not match the sum of the steps in the terms.
• No-deposit codes whose only source is more than a year old.
• A currency that is not real money, such as sweepstakes-style tokens, presented as a casino bonus.
• Time limits, maximum bets or withdrawal caps that make a bonus or a realistic win hard to collect.

A flag does not change the score, because the score only counts published facts. It does change what we write: the review says so plainly and points to alternatives with similar terms.

Where the data comes from

We would rather tell readers how the information was gathered than imply a level of testing that did not happen. Our database is compiled with AI-assisted collection from official casino pages and from independent review and comparison sites. Each record stores the list of sources it was built from and the date of collection.

When sources disagree, we record every version. A licence field might say Curaçao according to one site and Anjouan according to another; the review then says exactly that. When only one source supports a figure, such as a no-deposit code, the text says it is single-sourced. We do not convert figures quoted in euros or US dollars into AUD, because exchange rates move.

The same record feeds the catalogue card, the comparison tables, the review and the score, so the ranking and the facts cannot drift apart. If a figure is missing from the database, it is missing from the page; we do not fill gaps with estimates.

What we do not do

• We do not claim to have deposited, played or withdrawn at the casinos listed.
• We do not publish player-satisfaction percentages or invented user ratings.
• We do not let a commercial arrangement change a ranking or a score.

Using the rankings

Knowing how we rank gambling sites helps you read our lists critically: if one of the gambling site criteria matters more to you, such as PayID or a low minimum deposit, use the catalogue filters and the score breakdown in each review to re-order the list for yourself. Rankings are a starting point. Our best online casino sites list applies the score across the whole catalogue, and the new gambling sites guide applies it to brands launched in 2024 and 2025. The full, filterable catalogue is on our online gambling sites home page.

Whatever a ranking says, the legal position does not change. Offshore casinos operate outside Australian licensing, as our guide to whether online gambling is legal in Australia explains, so the casino's own terms are what you will be held to.

How we rank FAQ