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Our review method

How we review new online casinos

A new casino has no track record, so our reviews start from facts you can check yourself: the year the casino says it was founded, the date it joined our list, the licence it states and whether that licence appears on the regulator's register.

This page sets out what we record for each casino, what we check, how a review turns into a place in our rankings, and what we do not claim to have done.

For readers in Ireland, every review also says whether the casino accepts Irish players, whether you can keep your balance in euro and which payment methods used here it takes, such as debit cards, Revolut, Apple Pay and bank transfer.

Founding year on every casino Date it joined our list Licence checks you can repeat
On this page 10
  1. The method in short
  2. What happens when a casino joins our list
  3. What the age band on each casino means
  4. Where you can check a new casino's licence
  5. Registers to search
  6. The six checks on every review
  7. What wagering does to a €100 bonus
  8. What we do and what we do not do
  9. What this means for you
  10. Questions about our reviews

The method in short

  1. Founded

    Every review prints the founding year the casino states and an age band: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 or Established.

  2. Joined

    Every review shows the date the casino joined our list, which is the day we published its review.

  3. Licence

    We record the licence a casino states and point you to the regulator's register so you can look it up yourself.

  4. Ireland

    Each review says whether the casino accepts players from Ireland and whether it offers a euro balance.

  5. Gaps

    When a fact is not in our data, such as withdrawal times, the review says so instead of filling it in.

From listing to ranking

What happens when a casino joins our list

Every casino goes through the same five steps, in this order.

  1. We publish its review

    A casino joins our list on the day its review goes live. That date is printed on the review and beside the casino on our listings.

  2. We record what the casino states

    Founding year, licences, game studios, payment methods, apps, the countries its terms exclude and the link to its terms, each as stated on its own site.

  3. We check what can be checked

    Where a regulator publishes a register, a reviewer looks the licence up and the review shows the result. Until then the licence is marked as stated, with the check pending.

  4. We place it in the ranking

    Our new-casino rankings only include casinos founded this year or in the two years before. Older casinos keep their review and stay out of those lists.

  5. We update it when facts change

    When a casino changes its licence, terms, Irish access or welcome offer, we update the review and its date.

Counts, shares and dates on our pages are read from the casinos on our list each time a page loads.

Freshness stamp

What the age band on each casino means

The stamp on every casino comes from the founding year it states, counted in calendar years.

  1. Year 1 Founded this calendar year. There is almost no history to judge it by.
  2. Year 2 Founded last year. Terms and payment routes may still be changing.
  3. Year 3 Founded two years ago. The last band we count as new.
  4. Older Founded earlier. Stamped Established and left out of our new-casino rankings.
  5. No year The casino does not state when it was founded. We say so and do not estimate a year.

A founding year is a claim by the casino. A rebrand of an older site can state a recent year, so read the stamp together with the licence and the date the casino joined our list.

Licence checks

Where you can check a new casino's licence

The licences new casinos that accept Ireland state most often, and what each regulator lets you look up.

A licence logo in a casino's footer is a claim. A matching entry on the regulator's register is the evidence, and only some regulators publish one.
Licence statedWhere to checkWhat you can confirm
Ireland (GRAI) Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (grai.ie)Licensed betting operators since 1 July 2026. Gaming licences, which cover online casinos, are due during 2027 and 2028, so no online casino is on it yet.
Malta (MGA) Malta Gaming Authority licensee register (mga.org.mt)Licensees, plus a URL checker for casino websites. An EU regulator with a complaints process.
Curaçao Curaçao Gaming Authority licence register (cga.cw)Whether the company holds a Curaçao online licence, the most common licence among the casinos we list.
Kahnawake Kahnawake Gaming Commission permit holders (gamingcommission.ca)Current permit holders and the complaints process.
Anjouan, Tobique, Costa Rica No reliable public registerTreat the licence as the casino's own claim. Protection in a dispute is weak or absent.

Before the first deposit

The six checks on every review

Each check takes a few minutes and needs no account. On a review, each one shows whether our data confirms it, whether it is pending, or whether you need to check it yourself.

  • Licence on the regulator's register

    The licence number and the company name should appear on the regulator's own register, for the same domain.

    So what: A licence you cannot find is a licence you cannot rely on.

  • Full terms published

    The general terms set the rules for withdrawals, inactive accounts and closures, and they should carry a date.

    So what: Read them before you register.

    Terms at new casinos →
  • Withdrawal terms in writing

    Weekly and monthly caps, pending times and the point at which the casino asks for ID decide how fast a win reaches you.

    So what: Note the cap and the documents asked for before your first deposit.

    Why casinos ask for ID →
  • Bonus terms you can read before claiming

    Wagering, maximum bet, game weighting and any cap on winnings decide what a welcome offer is worth.

    So what: If the terms only appear after you deposit, skip the offer.

    New casino bonuses →
  • A first small withdrawal

    Withdraw a small win to the method you deposited with and note how long it takes to arrive.

    So what: It is the cheapest test of a casino with no history.

  • Responsible gaming tools

    Deposit, loss and time limits plus self-exclusion should be in the account menu from the first day.

    So what: Set a deposit limit before you claim anything.

    Responsible gaming →

Worked example

What wagering does to a €100 bonus

Each review sets the welcome offer against its cost to clear. On slots with 96% RTP you lose 4% of every bet on average, so the expected cost is the bonus times the wagering times 4%.

At 35x, still common at offshore casinos, a €100 bonus costs about €140 to clear on average, so it is worth less than nothing. At 10x it is worth about €60.
WageringYou must betExpected costExpected value of the bonus
0x €0€0+€100
10x €1,000€40+€60
25x €2,500€100€0
35x €3,500€140-€40

Our standards

What we do and what we do not do

We do

  • Print the founding year and the date each casino joined our list
  • Point you to the register for the licence a casino states
  • Say whether a casino accepts Ireland
  • Mark a fact as missing when we do not have it
  • Apply the same checks to every casino, partner or not

We do not

  • Claim a deposit or withdrawal test that we have not dated and described
  • Put casinos founded before the last three years in new-casino rankings
  • Estimate a founding year the casino does not state
  • Change a check result because of a commission

So what

What this means for you

  • The founding year is the casino's own claim

    Use it to sort launches from older sites, and look twice at a recent year on a site that already has a long list of games and payment methods.

  • A foreign licence is not Irish protection

    Until the GRAI licenses online casinos, an Irish regulator cannot step in if a withdrawal is refused. Check the licence that does apply and how its complaints process works.

  • A bigger offer can be worth less

    A large bonus with high wagering can cost more to clear than a small one with low wagering. Run the numbers before you claim.

  • Missing data means you check

    When a review says a fact is not in our data, find it on the casino's own site before you register.

Questions about our reviews

How do you decide that a casino is new?

By the founding year the casino states. A casino founded this calendar year or in the two years before counts as new, and only those casinos appear in our new-casino rankings. Older casinos keep their review with an Established stamp.

What does the date a casino joined your list mean?

It is the day we published the casino's review. It tells you how long we have followed the casino, which is separate from when the casino says it was founded.

Can a founding year be wrong?

Yes. It is a claim by the casino, and a rebrand of an older site can state a recent year. When a casino states no year, the review says so and we do not estimate one.