How We Rank and Rate Online Gambling Sites
Instead of merely pointing out which online gambling sites are considered reliable, we prefer to prioritize clarity. Our process involves not only analyzing them but also summarizing all relevant information on online casinos and betting sites reviews for our readers. In fact, our commitment to transparency resulted in this article, indicating the parameters we evaluate and our entire process.
🏆 Gambling 'N Go & Our Goal
Gambling ‘N Go, or simply GNG, is a gambling-related website dedicated to the evaluation of online casinos and betting sites, their interaction with bettors worldwide, and the indication of games. Our objective is to provide transparent information about operators.
In order to accomplish that goal of ours, we count on a team of specialized reviewers who work together to select and assess every and each website out there. Their experience as players and analysts allows them to conduct assessments and summarize key findings in a concise article, which players can read in minutes.
This process makes it possible for our readers to compare operators based on objective testing criteria and pick gambling sites that can accommodate their preferences.
Along with our team’s vast experience, we are transparent as to what our rating considers. Our ratings are based on specific criteria that are disclosed. In other words, our work does not tell bettors what to do. They make the final decision based on real characteristics.
In fact, those interested in more details can get a thorough understanding of our process involving each relevant parameter in analyzing gambling sites below.
✅ How We Conduct Our Manual Testing
Our reviewers prefer hands-on testing over reading promotional material. We examine a platform from the perspective of an average user, but judge it as an expert. On average, we assign three contributors per operator; this is done to eliminate any bias and get more accurate data sets. Each of our testers has at their disposal a budget of $100 for the evaluation. Let’s have a look at our evaluation checklist:
- Account Registration: We open genuine accounts with every prospective operator. The goal is to assess how long the registration process takes and which information is necessary to become a full-fledged member.
- Identity Verification: A Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure is mandatory on online platforms holding a gambling license. We upload a passport photo and wait to see how long it takes for the operator to verify our account.
- Making Deposits: Our staff deposits funds with at least two different banking providers listed in the cashier. Initially, we stick with the minimum deposit amount, but for the follow-up deposit, we add more funds. The testers also use their local currency where available.
- Claiming Bonuses: We redeem the welcome bonus and later on during the testing, snag a free spins or cashback promotion. Claiming bonuses makes it possible to see if bonuses are credited correctly and if the terms are transparent.
- Playing Games: This phase takes up most of our time. We play a minimum of 30 games per platform. Our staff migrate across the lobby and play slots, table games, and live casino titles. The same applies to sportsbooks, where we place bets on various markets. The goal is to assess the game choice, the betting opportunities, and the general user experience.
- Contact Customer Support: We use live chat and email to communicate with customer support agents during all of our testing. We ask questions about payments, bonuses and games, to gauge their communication, response times, and accuracy of answers.
- Request a Withdrawal. A withdrawal request is typically the last chapter of our testing. We choose a banking option and try to cash out our money to find out how quickly the payouts are and what the limits are on transactions.
- Mobile Testing: Several models of iOS and Android smartphones are used to test gambling sites. The team covers all of the above-mentioned steps on mobile devices on dedicated apps and a responsive website or PWA.
❌ Our Non-Negotiable Rejection Criteria
Not every gambling site we examine qualifies for a review or recommendation. We may reject or exclude gambling sites for the following reasons:
- No valid gambling license.
- Withholding winnings without reasonable explanation
- Unfair bonus terms
- Repeated customer support complaints
- Lack of responsible gambling tools
- Misleading advertising
🏆 Ranking System of Casinos or Betting Platform
We ensure all gambling sites are equally evaluated so that no outstanding parameter overshadows other relevant aspects. That is carried out based on the parameters we so devotedly compare and described below:
✅ Security and Trust
Analyzing gambling sites should always start with the measurement of their security levels. After all, they collect our personal data, and we need to transfer money in order to play or bet for real money, not to mention we want to be able to withdraw when necessary. Our careful analysis involves:
✔️ Valid License
The best gambling sites possess a valid gambling license issued by a reputable regulator. The licensing number is displayed on the platform’s website footer, and can be cross-checked on the regulator’s official registry. Some relevant authorities:
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC)
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
- Curaçao Gaming Authority
✔️ Regulation
Together with licenses, the best online gambling sites ensure fairness through the acquisition of third-party services, such as independent auditing. The presence of an eCogra certificate, for example, helps to ensure that games and bets are duly fair. Besides, sites that reinforce their commitment to responsible gambling, including regulating features, increase their trustworthiness.
✔️ SSL Encryption
As stated before, providing sensitive data is necessary to deposit and keep an active account. Therefore, it is a must that the gambling sites carry an SSL certificate, which encrypts the information provided to them.
✅ Quality and Variety of Games and Bets
Depending on the gambling site, there might be a great variety of games, or dozens of sports to bet on. We evaluate the quantity of available games and betting markets. Together with diversity, quality is also a must, both verified through:
✔️ Variety
Whether casino or sports betting, the fact is that we want to have enough options. Therefore, enough markets, lines, and events are a must for bettors; casino games, on the other hand, should diversify among slots, table games, and live dealer games.
✔️ Free to Play
While the real fun of gambling is the possibility of winning something, free playing is extremely relevant when it comes to casino games. Either for testing or to have fun without betting all the time, casinos that offer demo versions of their games deserve a better grade.
✔️ Reliable Providers
Most games offered in online casinos come from providers that distribute to several different websites. Therefore, they have the option to get quality and to offer the most popular games on the internet. We take that into consideration, especially due to the fact that reputable providers ensure games are fair.
✔️ Quality
A parameter that tends to vary according to the providers when it comes to games, but that connects to other characteristics in sports betting. Useful lines with great odds are a great example of how quality impacts gambling, and we evaluate that too.
✅ Promotions and Bonuses
We know that many bettors consider the attractiveness of casino bonuses when picking gambling websites. In our experience, it can be a great addition to both sports betting and casino gambling, thanks to our attention to:
✔️ Types of Bonuses
Welcome bonuses can be a great start, but there is much more in what gambling sites can offer. We rate them based on the variety of bonuses as well, such as free bets, free spins, no deposit bonus offers, and several other possibilities. That way, we ensure players and bettors get enough alternatives.
✔️ Terms and Requirements
The wagering requirements of any bonus is constant in our betting sites reviews. Together with it, the duration of a bonus and other terms, such as minimum and maximum bets, define if an offer is worth taking. We save your time, summarizing all there is to know about such bonus rules.
✔️ VIP Program
Together with the standard bonuses we present in all our reviews, we also make sure to verify the terms and rewards of VIP programs. Some are open to all new users; others are really exclusive and apply to specific players. In either case, we evaluate if its awards make the gambling site deserve a better grade.
✔️ Loyalty Points
Usually confused with the VIP point, those are given in exchange for real bets. Whenever a user has enough points, it is possible to exchange them for more bonuses. The terms of such trade impacts in how we rate gambling sites according to their promotions.
✅ Payment Methods
At this stage, we already know the gambling site is secured and regulated, so we rate it according to specific meters related to payment methods:
✔️ Methods
The more deposit methods available, the better, whichever the case. Therefore, even if an e-wallet would do for most players, our team analyses how many efficient channels are available. That way, we make sure our readers will not get disappointed when depositing or withdrawing funds.
✔️ Speed
Most of the time necessary to deposit and withdraw is related to the chosen method. Even so, the efficiency of the gambling site’s payment system is relevant. Nowadays, deposits should be instant if the method allows.
✔️ Payout Time
Although it does relate to speed, this parameter is connected to the processing time that is individual to each casino and betting site. After all, they have a verification process to check the validity and identification of each bettor. Some sites take hours, others almost a week, and that influences how we rate gambling sites.
✔️ Safety
Security through SSL encryption within payments and the use of methods that are proven to be safe are a must. Whenever a casino or betting site fails to comply with minimum safety in terms of payments, it is out.
✔️ RTP
The overall RTP of a website can also be described as its average total payout. Some websites proudly publish it on their pages, while others show it within their audit certificate. Whenever we can get hold of such information, we consider it in our rating.
✅ Customer Care
Our work here at GNG ensures the maximum definition of the most important aspects and terms of all gambling sites we evaluate. However, our reviews and FAQs might still miss a specific situation you might fall into. That is why the quality of the customer care service is also involved in how we rate gambling sites:
✔️ Support Channels
The different ways in which a customer can contact the gambling site count in our ranking, as well as their availability. Ideally, we look for live chat, email, and phone support preferably provided 24/7 for the best experience. Our commitment is once again proved when we test their chat to evaluate its quality.
✔️ Data Protection
Together with the SSL certificate, gambling sites must comply with the latest privacy requirements in any given region. Therefore, we ensure their terms or privacy policies do not put your protection at risk.
✔️ Effectiveness
Despite the availability of support channels, the ability to actually solve issues is also taken into consideration.
✅ Accessibility and Experience
Finally, after covering most of the essential features of all gambling sites, we consider everything else that is connected to betting online, from computers or mobile devices. Among them, we can highlight the following criteria:
✔️ Compatibility
Preference as to which device to use to play or bet online may vary according to each bettor. Therefore, we make sure to identify all the operational systems and devices that can be used to access gambling sites.
✔️ Software
Modern gambling sites allow bettors to use all their features through browsers. However, some offer high-quality software and apps to provide a more exclusive experience. Whenever that is the case, we mention that in our reviews.
✔️ User Experience
From the moment the page or app is open, everything users can interact with, and how the experience translates to them is extremely relevant. Throughout our analysis, we identify the positive and negative aspects of the UX on each gambling website.
✔️ Sign-up Process
Our reviews give a complete step-by-step guide on how to sign up to each gambling site. While doing it, we also evaluate how easy it is for players and bettors to get their free account.
✔️ Page Speed
Finally, no accessibility check-up would be complete without considering the speed. If pages and games take too long to load, the casino or betting experience is far from optimal. Rest assured, we test it with high and medium internet connections to ensure the best experience.
✅ Why Not Choose Just Any Gambling Site?
There are hundreds of options out there when we consider gambling sites. Among them, a couple of dozens cannot be considered trustworthy for failing on our analysis’s relevant parameters. Therefore, even when they look like professional betting platforms, not choosing wisely may result in:
- Complete disappearing or confiscation of your deposited funds and winnings.
- Unjustified restriction to bets, making it impossible to gamble properly.
- Poor customer care that does not solve any problems.
- Withdrawals that take too long to be processed.
- No guarantee of randomness and fairness of casino games.
- Unfair odds when it comes to sports betting.
- No reliability when it comes to the completion of wagering requirements.
These risks highlight the importance of double checking licensing, payment policies, and customer support standards before registering an account at an operator.
🎰 Responsible Gambling
We make responsible gambling a pillar of our review process. That’s why we seek operators that provide tools that help you maintain safe gambling practices. Here are a few tips for responsible gambling habits:
- Bankroll Management: Prepare a gambling budget for the month. You can allocate a specific amount for each session. That way, you will be able to gamble more often, and will not spend over your means.
- Deposit and Loss Limits: The best gambling sites offer the option to set personal limits on how much you can deposit per day. There are also loss limits that cut off access to the platform once you reach the set amount.
- Self-Exclusion Tools: When you realize that gambling is becoming a problem, you should temporarily block your gambling site account. This feature is available on nearly all operators and makes it possible to block access for 30 days, 6 months, a year, or permanently.
- Time Reminders: Many operators offer notifications that tell you how long you have been gambling without a break. Use these alerts as an alarm call and take a time-out to maintain your concentration.
- Professional Help: If gambling addiction is no longer something theoretical but something you are experiencing, then it is time to seek help from professional help organizations such as GamCare or Gamblers Anonymous.
✅ Conclusion
We write our reviews to help players, not to benefit gambling operators. Each recommendation comes from a thorough testing process, as described above. We want to help you to make informed choices using clear and independently checked information.
If you want to find a gambling site that matches your preferences, check out our casino and betting site rankings. Our reviews help you compare operators and find relevant information about bonuses, payment methods, and games. For any questions about our methodology or a specific operator, reach out to our team. We hope that our research data will help you make better choices.
Transparency is one of the key principles here at Gambling ‘N Go. If you click on a link to a gambling site on our website and register or deposit, we may receive a commission from the operator at no extra cost to you.
But these commercial relationships do not affect our reviews and ratings. Each operator is evaluated using the same testing process and ranking criteria detailed on this page.
FAQs
Yes, we do full manual testing on each gambling site featured on our platform. Our reviewers open accounts, make payments, claim bonuses, play games, and contact customer support to assess the overall user experience before publishing a review.
Yes, we strive to revisit the operators recommended on our website throughout the year. Some updates are quick, and check to see if bonuses have changed, which games have been added, and if the payment policies have been altered. However, at least twice a year, we try to do a complete evaluation and find out if significant changes have occurred, and how the platform stacks up against competitors.
No, that would not be practical, since there are thousands of gambling sites operating worldwide. Instead, we focus on licensed operators and new additions to the market to see if they meet our standards.
Yes, because we use our methodology, which is based on a variety of criteria and standards for each feature, there is a difference in ratings compared to other platforms. However, we use industry norms as a baseline, but our team also relies on their multi-year experience to grade platforms in an objective way.
Yes, licensing is the key factor and is usually the first parameter we check. We advise players to pick operators that hold valid licenses and comply with responsible gambling requirements.