How We Rate Casinos
We don't rank casinos by who pays us the most. We rank them by how they actually perform when we put our own money on the line.
Every casino on Casigrade is tested first-hand. We open a real account, make a real deposit, play, and — most importantly — request a real withdrawal. Then we score what we found. No casino can buy a better rating, and the proof is simple: we publish the weaknesses too.
We test with our own money
Most comparison sites rate casinos from a desk, based on what the casino says about itself. We don't. For every casino we review:
- We create a real account and complete the full sign-up and verification (KYC) process, so we know exactly what a new player goes through.
- We deposit our own money and play across different game types.
- We request a withdrawal and time how long it actually takes to reach our wallet or account — not the time the casino advertises.
- We document every step: what worked, what was slow, what was unclear, and anything that felt off.
If we say withdrawals are fast, it's because ours arrived fast. If we say verification is painless, it's because we went through it ourselves.
The 7 things we score
Every casino is scored on the same seven criteria, each weighted equally. No single factor is allowed to inflate an otherwise weak casino.
1. Licence & Safety
We confirm the casino holds a valid gambling licence and check the regulator behind it. We look for independent audits (RTP and RNG testing), data-protection practices, and whether the operator is transparent about who runs it. A casino that hides its licensing or ownership loses points immediately.
2. Withdrawal Speed
We measure the real time between requesting a withdrawal and receiving the funds — from our own test, not the casino's marketing. We also check withdrawal limits, fees, and whether payouts get held up by repeated verification requests.
3. Bonus Quality
A big bonus number means nothing if you can't realistically clear it. We read the full terms: wagering requirements, maximum bet limits, game weightings, time limits, and maximum cashout. We score bonuses on whether a normal player can actually benefit — not on the headline figure.
4. Game Selection
We look at the range and quality of games: slots, live casino, table games, game shows, and crypto-style titles. We check which providers power the library (established studios vs. unknown ones) and whether the catalogue is genuinely broad or padded.
5. Customer Support
We contact support ourselves — usually live chat and email — with real questions, and we judge response time, competence, and availability (24/7 or limited hours). Support that's slow or scripted when you have a payment problem is a serious mark against a casino.
6. Crypto Options
For crypto-friendly players we check which coins are supported, whether deposits and withdrawals are genuinely fee-free, processing speed, and whether the casino is built around crypto or just bolts it on.
7. Mobile Experience
We use each casino on a phone, not just a desktop. We check whether the site is fully responsive, fast to load, easy to navigate, and whether all games and the cashier work properly on mobile.
How the final score is calculated
Each of the seven criteria is scored, and the final rating (out of 5) is the average of all seven, weighted equally. Because no single factor dominates, a casino can't earn a top rating on bonuses alone while failing on payouts or safety. The result is an editorial score that reflects the complete experience — the way a real player would encounter it.
What lowers a casino's score
Before we rate, we dig beyond the casino itself. We check:
- Independent audits — is RTP and RNG fairness actually verified by a third party, or just claimed?
- General player reviews — what real users report across review platforms.
- Payout reliability — patterns of slow, blocked, or reduced withdrawals.
- Dispute history — has the operator been involved in unresolved player disputes?
- Forum reports — what players say in community discussions, where problems surface first.
Red flags that pull a score down include: no public fairness audits, a history of payment disputes, predatory bonus terms, missing responsible-gambling tools, and hidden or unverifiable licensing.
Our affiliate relationship — stated plainly
Casigrade earns commission when players sign up through some of our links. This is how the site is funded, and we're upfront about it.
It does not change how we rate. The scoring criteria above are applied identically to every casino, whether or not we have a commercial relationship with it. The clearest proof is that we publish the downsides of casinos we link to — slow payouts, limited player protections, missing audits — because an honest weakness is more useful to you than a hidden one.
Play responsibly
Casigrade is an information and comparison site for adults aged 18 and over. Gambling involves risk and should never be seen as a way to make money. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, support is available through GamCare, BeGambleAware, and GamblingTherapy.