How We Review Slots and Casinos
Every ranking on VegasSlots follows written rules. Casino lists use a scoring rule built into the site, and slot lists sort by the studio’s published RTP. This page shows how we review slots and casinos, what each rule is worth, and what we never do.
How does the casino scoring work?
The casino lists are ordered by a score, and the score is simple on purpose. It starts from a reviewer’s rating of the operator, then adds or subtracts a few points for the bonus terms. It is a sorting rule, not a lab test, so the table shows exactly what moves an operator up or down.
| Criterion | What we check | Weight in the list order |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewer rating | The 0 to 5 rating our reviewer sets for the operator after reading its licence, terms, payments and support | Base of the score: rating times 10, so a 4.8 rating starts at 48 points |
| Wager-free offer | Whether the offer carries no wagering requirement | Plus 12 points |
| Offer published | Whether the operator publishes a headline offer at all | Plus 4 points |
| Slot weighting | The share of a slot stake that counts towards wagering, as the operator states it | Minus 0.1 point for every percentage point below 100, so a 50% weighting costs 5 points |
| Studio and slot exclusions | Whether the operator excludes a studio or a single slot from its offer | No points; the operator is removed from that studio’s or slot’s list |
| Licence for your market | Whether the operator holds a licence for the market you are in | Gate: no licence for the market, no listing |
| Published RTP (slot lists) | The return-to-player figure the studio publishes for the game | Only sort key on RTP lists, highest first |
Source: the list-ordering rules used on this site, read on 24 Oct 2026. Equal scores keep the order our editor set.
The rating carries most of the weight. The adjustments only separate operators that are close, and a wager-free offer is worth 1.2 rating points. The weights inside the rating itself are a reviewer’s judgement and not a published formula, which is why the offer terms are shown beside every list.
Which licence do we check first?
Licence comes before any offer. For UK operators we read the UK Gambling Commission public register: the licensee, the account number, a remote casino activity and an active status. For Ontario we read the iGaming Ontario operator directory, which names the Ontario entity behind each brand.
A brand name and the company that holds the licence are often different, so we record the licensee, not the logo. When an operator does not state a licence number on its own pages, we write that it is not stated rather than copying one from elsewhere. A directory carries its own date: the Ontario list we read was marked accurate as of 1 September 2026, so that is the date we quote.
Where do the figures come from, and how are they dated?
For slots, the studio’s own game page comes first: netent.com, pragmaticplay.com and playngo.com. Studios publish different things:
- NetEnt lists release day, RTP, hit frequency and max payout.
- Pragmatic Play lists RTP and mechanics.
- Play’n GO lists release day and features, but no RTP.
Where a studio is silent, we use a secondary catalogue such as slotcatalog.com and say so in the table note.
Sources disagree, and we keep the studio’s value. NetEnt gives Starburst a max win of 800x, a secondary catalogue says 500x, and the page shows the 800x with its source. RTP is the studio’s headline figure, but studios let operators pick other settings, so the number at a casino can be lower. Our RTP guide shows how to read that.
Operator terms come from the operator’s own terms and help pages. Some pages refuse our checks or never load, and then the field stays empty. A missing figure means we could not read it, and we would rather show a gap than a guess.
What does “verified” mean on a page?
The date beside an author’s name is the day that author last re-read every operator term and game figure on the page against its source. If nothing changed on that day, the date stays where it was. When an operator changes an offer or a studio republishes a payback figure, the page changes and the date moves. Our team page lists who looks after which pages.
How often do we re-check a page?
There is no fixed calendar, because a calendar would only suggest checks we have not made. A page is re-read when an operator changes its terms, when a studio republishes a figure, or when a reader points out a mistake. The newest-slots list is the exception: it refills itself as games are added to the catalogue, and it is ordered by catalogue order, not by our review.
Why does the list change with where I am?
Casino lists follow your market. Where we have no licensed operator for a market, the list stays empty instead of showing a brand you cannot use. Offer figures appear on UK lists only, because advertising rules in other markets restrict them. Lists for readers in the United States use coin vocabulary and no offer figures at all.
Does commission change what we rank?
We earn a commission when a reader opens an account through one of our links. The scoring rule above has no field for commission, so it cannot move an operator. Operators cannot buy a place on a list; if one stops meeting our standards, it comes off. The about page explains how the site is funded.
How do we handle corrections?
If a figure looks wrong, tell us through the contact page and name the page and the source you checked. We compare it with the source. If you are right, we change the figure and move the verified date. If the source says something different, we reply with the link.
What do we not do?
We do not make deposits on test accounts unless a page says we did; where a page describes an offer or a payout time, it says it comes from the operator’s terms. We do not run user reviews or reader star ratings, so no vote from outside the team feeds a score. We do not accept payment for position. The slot and casino lists and our guides all work on these rules.
Gambling is for adults. Set limits before you play and stop when it stops being fun. Free, confidential help is on our responsible gambling page. 18+.
Frequently asked questions
Can an operator pay to rank higher?
No. The scoring rule has no input for payment or commission, and an operator that stops meeting our standards is removed.
Do you deposit money to test casinos?
Not unless a page says so. Statements about payouts and bonus terms come from the operator’s own terms and help pages, and the page names that source.
Why is a figure missing from a table?
We could not read it. Some operator pages block our checks and some studios publish no RTP or volatility. We leave the cell empty instead of estimating.
Why is the RTP at a casino different from yours?
Studios can release a game with several RTP settings, and the operator chooses one. We show the studio’s headline figure and name the source.
What does the date next to the author’s name mean?
It is the day the author last checked every figure on the page against its source. It moves only when something on the page changed.
Do you accept user reviews?
No. Scores and rankings come from our team and the rules in the table above.