How we test casinos
Every casino in our comparisons is tested hands-on. We check the licence in the regulator's own register, open and verify an account, deposit and withdraw with real money, test the games, support and mobile apps, and check the terms every week. This page explains the full routine and exactly what decides the ranking.
Before a casino makes our list
A casino only enters a comparison if it passes the basics for that market:
- It accepts players from the country the page is written for.
- It offers accounts in the local currency or in euros.
- Its licence checks out in the regulator's own register (see below).
- It offers deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion in the account.
Licence checked at the source
We don't rely on the licence seal in a casino's footer. We look the licence up in the register of the gambling authority the casino says it is licensed by, and verify every detail end to end: the licence number, the company behind it, its registration number and address, and that the licence actually covers the casino's website. A casino only enters our comparisons when everything matches.
A licence from Curacao means an authority in Curacao supervises the company. It is not permission to offer gambling in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway or Great Britain. That is why we list the licence number and operator for every casino and explain on each comparison what a player gives up: the local self-exclusion scheme, local supervision and local complaint routes.
Sign-up and verification
We register a real account at every casino and complete the full identity verification (KYC). With the documents ready, the verification itself takes 3–5 minutes, and approval has taken 24–48 hours at the casinos we compare.
Deposits and withdrawals
We deposit and withdraw real money with a wide range of methods: Visa and Mastercard, Trustly, Sofort, Skrill, Neteller, MiFinity, paysafecard (withdrawals to a paysafecard online account), Apple Pay, Google Pay and most of the cryptocurrencies the casinos accept. For crypto we use fast, low-cost coins such as Bitcoin Cash rather than Bitcoin.
We time every withdrawal from request to arrival and compare it with the casino's own stated processing time. In our tests, payouts have matched the casinos' estimates closely and usually arrived a few hours sooner.
Bonuses and terms
We read the full bonus terms and general terms of every casino: wagering, maximum bet, time limits, maximum cashout and which games count. We also play the welcome bonuses with real money to see how the wagering works in practice. Usually the bonus balance runs out before the wagering is complete, which is the normal outcome and worth knowing before you accept one. Once, at IceCasino, we completed the wagering and withdrew €127.
Our toplists show the first-deposit offer, and the casino reviews break down every step of the welcome package.
Games, mobile and apps
We play slots and casino games both in demo mode and for real money, and go through the casino's pages and featured promotions. Every casino is tested in the mobile browser, and where there is an Android app we install it (APK) and log in. We have even claimed app-exclusive offers such as the shake bonus.
Customer support
We contact every casino through live chat and email, and check how quickly and how well they answer and in which languages support is available.
Responsible gambling tools
We set deposit limits on our own accounts and check which tools each casino offers: deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. A casino without them doesn't make the list. What the tools do and don't do is explained on our responsible gambling page.
What decides the ranking
Every casino that passes the basics is assessed on five factors. The weights reflect what matters most to players in each market:
| Factor | Sweden and Germany | Denmark and Norway | What we look at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Withdrawals | 30 % | 25 % | Payout times in our own tests, processing times, limits and caps |
| Bonus terms | 25 % | 25 % | Wagering, maximum bet, time limit, maximum cashout and eligible games |
| Payment methods | 25 % | 30 % | Local methods, and which of them work for both deposits and withdrawals |
| Games and mobile | 10 % | 10 % | Game selection and providers, mobile site and apps |
| Customer support | 10 % | 10 % | Live chat and email: speed, quality and languages |
In Denmark, local payment methods such as Trustly, Danske Bank and Apple Pay make the biggest difference for players, so payment methods count slightly more there. In Norway, banks block card payments to unlicensed gambling, so most players pay with crypto; there the payment factor is judged mainly on which coins and networks a casino pays out in. A big headline bonus with tough conditions ranks below a smaller offer with clear, fair terms, and commercial relationships never change the weighting. Our UK section compares brands without ranking them.
When a casino is removed
A casino is removed from a comparison if its licence can no longer be confirmed in the register, if it stops accepting players from that country, if withdrawals go unpaid without explanation, or if its terms change so that what we wrote no longer holds and the casino can't be assessed fairly. A casino can't pay to stay on a list, and an affiliate agreement doesn't change the decision.
What we can't check
Our tests show how a casino works for us, with our accounts, our amounts and our payment methods. There are things we can't promise:
- That your withdrawal will be as quick. Large amounts, a new payment method or an extra source-of-funds check can take longer.
- That the terms are unchanged today. We check every week, but a casino can change its terms between two checks. The terms in your account always take precedence over ours.
- That a dispute will be resolved. Regulators in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Great Britain don't supervise casinos without their licence and can't help with an unpaid withdrawal.
So always read the terms in the cashier and the bonus rules before you deposit.
How we keep it current
We check every casino at least once a week: the terms and bonus amounts, new game providers and features, and time-limited offers such as holiday campaigns, no-deposit bonuses and new promo codes. When something changes, we update the comparison and the date on the page.
Spotted a change before we did? Email [email protected].