How We Rate Casinos — Our Rating Criteria
A transparent look at exactly how we rate and score online casinos for South African players.
By Thandi Nkosi · Senior Casino Reviewer
Reviewed · Last updated
Trustworthy ratings need a consistent process. We rate every casino against the same criteria, weighted by what matters most to South African players. Where possible we play hands-on — creating an account, making a deposit, playing, contacting support and requesting a withdrawal — so our verdicts reflect real experience, not just marketing claims.
Our scoring criteria
| Criterion | Weight | What we assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & safety | 25% | Valid licence, SSL, fair terms, company transparency |
| Games & software | 20% | Library size, providers, certified RNG, RTP transparency |
| Bonuses & terms | 15% | Value after wagering, max bet, max cashout, fairness |
| Banking & withdrawals | 20% | ZAR support, methods, limits, real payout speed |
| Support | 10% | Channels, hours, response time, quality of answers |
| Mobile & UX | 5% | Mobile performance, navigation, loading speed |
| Responsible gambling | 5% | Deposit limits, self-exclusion, helpline visibility |
How we rate a casino
Every casino is rated through the same sequence so nothing is missed:
- Licence verification — we confirm the licence directly with the regulator.
- Registration — we create a real account and note the sign-up experience.
- Deposit — we fund the account in ZAR and time how long it takes.
- Bonus claim — we read and rate the welcome bonus terms in full.
- Gameplay — we play across slots and tables for stability and fairness.
- Support — we contact support with real questions and measure responses.
- Withdrawal — we complete KYC and request a payout, timing the whole process.
- Responsible-gambling review — we confirm limits and self-exclusion actually work.
How fairness is assessed
We do not take "fair games" on trust. We look for independent certification of the Random Number Generator and published RTP from laboratories such as iTech Labs, GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) and TST. Our guides on RTP and how slots work explain what these checks mean for players.
Scoring and re-reviews
Each criterion is scored and combined into an overall rating out of five. A casino can lose marks for a single serious failing — for example, refusing legitimate withdrawals or hiding bonus terms — regardless of its other strengths. We periodically re-rate casinos and update scores when banking, bonuses or licensing change, with the date shown on the review.
Independence
Some links on our site are affiliate links (see our affiliate disclosure), but commercial relationships never influence a score. Our full standards are set out in our editorial policy. You can see these criteria applied in practice in our Apollo Slots review.