How we rate betting sites and casinos
Last updated 2 November 2026
Every bookmaker and casino on BettingSeeker gets the same test and the same scoring sheet. The score you see on a toplist or review is calculated from nine criteria, weighted by how much each one matters to a player’s money and safety. Commercial deals never change a score.
Licensed operators only
We only list operators that are licensed in the country a page is about: the UK Gambling Commission in the UK, the state regulators in the US, and the AGCO with iGaming Ontario or the provincial lottery corporations in Canada. Before anything else, we look the operator up on the regulator’s own register and record the licence and the date we checked. If an operator loses its licence, we remove it.
Betting sites: the nine criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Licensing & safety | 20% |
| Odds & margins | 15% |
| Payments & payout speed | 15% |
| Markets & sports depth | 10% |
| Bonuses & fair terms | 10% |
| App & usability | 10% |
| Live betting & streaming | 10% |
| Customer support | 5% |
| Responsible gambling tools | 5% |
Online casinos: the nine criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Licensing & safety | 20% |
| Payments & payout speed | 15% |
| Game range & providers | 15% |
| Game fairness & RTP info | 10% |
| Bonuses & fair terms | 10% |
| Live casino | 10% |
| App & usability | 10% |
| Customer support | 5% |
| Responsible gambling tools | 5% |
The overall score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal place. Until our hands-on test of an operator is complete, it shows as “not yet rated” rather than a guessed score.
What we test
- Licence check. We look up the licence number on the regulator’s own register and record it with the date checked.
- Ownership. We record the company behind the brand and its other sites, so you can see sister sites with shared terms.
- Account sign-up. We open a real account and note how long verification (KYC) takes and which documents are asked for.
- Deposit. We deposit with at least two payment methods and record fees and limits.
- Odds sampling. We record prices on the main markets of the top leagues and calculate the bookmaker’s margin.
- Market depth. We count markets on a sample of football, tennis and US sports fixtures.
- Live betting. We check in-play coverage, cash out, bet builder and live streaming.
- Welcome offer. We read the full terms and rewrite the conditions that matter (wagering, minimum odds, expiry, excluded payment methods) in plain English.
- Withdrawal. We request a withdrawal and time it from request to money received, per payment method.
- App. We install the iOS and Android apps where available and test speed, navigation and bet placement.
- Customer support. We send the same three questions to live chat and email and record response times and accuracy.
- Responsible gambling tools. We check deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion and reality checks.
- Complaints. We review public complaints and how the operator resolved them.
Keeping ratings current
Every operator record shows the date it was last verified. We re-test each operator at least every 90 days, and straight away when an offer, licence or payment option changes. When a score changes, the page’s changelog says why.
First-hand evidence
Where we have tested something ourselves, the page says so and shows the evidence (screenshots, timings, dates). Where we rely on the operator’s own information, we say that too.