Where the figures come from and how old they can be
Every number on this site comes from a primary source and sits in a fact log with a source, a reading date and a shelf life. A licence reading lasts a week, a lobby limit seven days, studio rules thirty days. A figure past its limit is labelled and re-read.
What one record in the fact log holds
A figure is published only when its record is complete. Each record has six fields.
- The fact itself, with its unit, such as a stake in pounds.
- The name of the source and its web address.
- The date the source was read.
- The shelf life for that kind of fact.
- The page or pages that use it.
- The state: current, being re-checked, or withdrawn.
A page that quotes a figure without a complete record fails our own review and is not released.
How old a figure can be
| Family of facts | Source | Read again |
|---|---|---|
| Licence entries | Gambling Commission public register | On the day of publication and every week; a live link is withdrawn when the last reading is more than 30 days old |
| Terms and wagering contribution | Operator terms | Every 7 days |
| Table limits and studios in a lobby | Operator lobby | Every 7 days, kept as a dated snapshot |
| Studio game rules | Studio rules pages | Every 30 days |
| Regulation | LCCP, RTS, CAP Code and Gambling Commission announcements | Every 90 days, and when the Gambling Commission publishes a relevant decision |
| Terms and definitions | Our glossary and cited rules | Every 365 days |
The primary sources
- The Gambling Commission register of gambling businesses, including each business's pages for domain names, trading names and regulatory actions.
- The Gamstop list of participating companies.
- The studio's own rules for each blackjack variant.
- The operator's lobby and terms, read as a visitor from Britain sees them.
- The Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), the Remote Technical Standards (RTS) and the CAP Code.
Reading a register entry step by step is covered in checking a casino licence.
Snapshots, and what we do not measure
A snapshot is a reading on one date. The number of tables in a lobby, a minimum stake and the studios listed are all snapshots.
They show how a lobby looked, and they say nothing about quality; the reasoning is on the page about table counts and seating.
We do not time withdrawals, test games with money, or calculate return to player ourselves. Figures from other sites are claims, and each one is read against the primary source before any verdict.
How to read the Checked line
The line Checked, followed by a date, sits under the opening answer on each page. It means the facts on the page were read on that date, and nothing more. Cells that read Not checked yet have not been read at all.
Changes after that date are listed in the changelog. The method behind all of this is on the method page, and errors can be sent through Corrections.
Quick answers
- What does the Checked line at the top of a page mean?
It gives the date on which the facts on that page were last read from their sources. It is not a promise about today. If a figure is past its shelf life, the page says it is being re-checked.
- Why is a table count shown as a snapshot?
A lobby can change within days, so a count is only true for the day it was read. We publish it with its source and date, keep it for seven days, and never use it to rank a casino.
- Do you measure payout speed or RTP yourselves?
No, unless a page says so in terms. Such a figure comes from a named source with a date, and the page does not present it as our own measurement.
- What if a source cannot be read?
The cell stays empty and reads Not checked yet. We do not fill a gap with a figure from a review site or an assistant.