TrustScore - How We Rate Online Casinos

A rating system of this comprehensive nature is simply indispensable when choosing an online casino to gamble at due to the complexities surrounding all forms of gambling in today’s day and age. There is just so much to consider with a multitude of factors at play that vary wildly across the industry. All of which can affect whether or not an online casino is even worth your time. 

How We Create Statistically Accurate Ratings

Well-honed through years of experience at the highest level, the elements that make our ratings so accurate have been tirelessly scrutinised and improved. They are created by our industry-leading casino experts who gather data using a variety of proven techniques while keeping what our users value at the forefront, but what exactly does our methodology consist of?

We Employ Experts

To build these ratings and research our featured casinos, we employ bonafide experts who play at these casinos themselves. This two-fold understanding of the industry means that our experts have the complex knowledge to understand aspects such as industry standards, trends and technical features that comprise the variety of gaming platforms, while also possessing the the perspective to understand what the players themselves look for and require to have the best overall gaming experience.

Here’s a view of our casino experts and their comprehensive industry experience.

We Gather Data

Each and every casino that we review or feature has undergone our rigorous testing procedures. These are developed and practised by our esteemed industry experts who publish their findings in the form of our casino reviews. Here is a guide to the most important factors our experts test when featuring a new casino;

Verify the Valid Gambling Licence

We would never recommend a casino which has not obtained a legally acceptable licence.

Check the Selection of Casino Games

Quality and quantity are both of significance.

Confirm Casino Is Powered by Solid Game Providers

Casinos we recommend must offer games from reliable software developers. 

User Experience

Usability includes device integration, categorisation of games and ease of navigation applicable to the website.

Read Other Players’ Opinions

Take into account the positive comments and the negative experiences, just as we do within each of our casino reviews.

Bonuses and Promotions

A staple with most operators in the iGaming world, each online casino brings offers unique to their spirit of play.

Read the Terms & Conditions

We want to see easily accessible terms that are clearly defined, with no jargon. 

Payment Methods and Withdrawal Speed

It only makes sense that a casino is judged on the efficiency it shows when handling its transactions due to the sheer volume it undertakes.

Sign Up For the VIP Club

VIP clubs can offer some fantastic rewards and perks for loyal players. 

Responsible Gaming

The variety of tools for this available today include;

1. Deposit limits

2. Time out sessions

3. Self-exclusion

4. Wagering limits

5. Session limits

6. Loss Limits

Fairness

This is often measured by the presence of a Random Number Generator (RNG).

Evaluate the Quality of Customer Service

The considerations our experts look out for include;

1. Response times.

2. Professionalism and helpfulness.

3. Number of channels.

4. Accessibility times.

Reputation & Fame

Using the latest technologies and AI systems, we also take a look into the reputation and overall sentiment surrounding the online casinos we review, both from an operational and player perspective. Coupling this with our succinct methodologies gives our users the best opportunity to understand what is thought about any casino they might wish to gamble at. 

Monitor Future Developments

We also consider future developments of each website and how they intend to improve going forward. 

Mystery Players

Our reviews benefit from the input of 50+ anonymous online gamblers who report to our experts after playing with a regular frequency on the casinos we feature.

We Analyse Data

Utilising some of the most intensely advanced methodologies, our experts extract the most accurate and valuable statistics for our casino ratings. A multifaceted system allows us to garner the best results from each methodology while also cross-checking the information for further accuracy and mitigating the drawbacks each brings. Here is a guide to the techniques we make use of;

Wilson Score Interval 

Put simply, instead of counting positive and negative reviews, this technique takes into account how many reviews on a specific casino are available and then provides us with a more reliable score. This way, we can be far more sure that a casino with a high rating is truly liked by its players, even if it doesn't have a mass of reviews on hand. 

Bayesian Averages

This technique incorporates prior knowledge when calculating the average scores for our ratings, ensuring that casinos with a smaller number of reviews are not unfairly penalised. It's advantageous for newer casinos or sportsbooks with fewer player reviews, helping to stabilise ratings and providing a more accurate reflection of a site's quality from the onset.

Item Response Theory (IRT)

IRT is used to measure the ability of players to win or lose in games, taking into account the difficulty of the games themselves. This advanced statistical model offers insights into the fairness of games and allows us to adjust ratings based on the gaming experience's quality. This goes a long way to tailoring our reviews depending on who is reading them.

Cluster Analysis 

This technique groups casinos with similar features, which assists users in finding platforms that match their preferences with more ease. This method can identify patterns and similarities that are not immediately apparent, enhancing personalised recommendations. This tool is what makes it possible for us to create lists based on a casino’s features.

Predictive Modeling

Predictive models use historical data to forecast future outcomes, such as anticipating customer satisfaction or the potential for new casinos to rise in popularity. This approach refines ratings by predicting changes in the quality of user experience over time. At CasinoTopsOnline, we analyse all of the brands and operators in our portfolio with an approach heavily dependent on these methodologies, which in turn garners a vast wealth of historical data that helps us to truly understand the behaviour and satisfaction of our visitors.

In-House Casino Rating System - CasinoTopsOnline TrustScore

This may sound far too complex, however, we’ve done the hard bits for you and simplified all of the data and statistical analysis across our website into a simple 0 - 10 rating. This system is still designed to keep a balance between accessibility while still including all the most important factors. Below are some guidelines as to what a certain score means in more detail;

1 - 2.9	Not Recommended
3 - 5.9	Average Casino
6 - 7.9	Good Casino
8 - 8.9	Very Good Casino
9 - 9.5	Very Good Casino
9.6 - 10	Simply Can’t Miss!

Online Casinos Rated and Approved

If the online casino has been approved in all of the above criteria, we will give a final score and create a thorough review where we analyse each point to weigh up the pros and cons. Casinos are checked periodically, and the ratings are adjusted accordingly if and when we receive new information.

We believe that honesty and transparency are particularly important, which is why we describe the good and bad sides of every casino, as well as list as much information as we can give to help players. Our editorial principles highlight exactly what goes on behind the scenes when we create our reviews. 

Blacklisted and Casinos We Do Not Recommend

Sometimes, a casino isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. We don't want to list any casinos on our site which might give users a negative experience, which is why we're so keen to get feedback from users about their own site experience. We mostly consider these points to be negative for a casino:

• Poor customer support;

• Lack of transparency;

• Not licensed correctly;

• Slower than normal withdrawals;

• Unclear terms and conditions.

These are all taken into account when we review, and if we deem any points to make a casino unsafe, insecure, or just not top quality, our scores reflect such. We make every effort to keep our scores updated according to how the casinos are currently offering their services. A casino which has significant shortfalls will receive a "Not Recommended" status from us. Casinos which have engaged in malpractices and have disregarded their players' safety will receive a "Blacklisted" status. Check out our unsafe online casinos page, for more information on the blacklisting process.

Why Trust Our Ratings?

At Casino Tops Online we pride ourselves on the bit of extra value we bring to our users, through the many different methodologies we employ. We bring the opinions and knowledge of industry-leading casino experts, with a deep understanding of what players want, as well as a holistic and multi-faceted approach to collecting data which we display with the fullest accuracy and integrity. These are the biggest factors contributing to our brand being the number 1 source for online casinos in the UK  for many years. Learn more about how we establish trust as a brand.