Every score on this site comes from the same rating system. The editorial team uses it to turn real-money testing and a close reading of the casino's terms into numbers that readers can compare across sections. This page explains the criteria, how each one is measured, how the overall score is calculated and what can change a rating.
The scale
Each criterion is scored from 0 to 10, in steps of 0.5. The scale is deliberately strict: a 10 means there is nothing meaningful to improve, and scores above 9 are rare.
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9.0–10 | Excellent: clearly better than typical offerings open to Canadian players |
| 8.0–8.5 | Strong: good value with minor drawbacks |
| 7.0–7.5 | Solid: works well but has noticeable limitations |
| 5.0–6.5 | Average: usable, with important trade-offs |
| Below 5 | Weak: serious problems that readers should weigh carefully |
The eight criteria
The overall score is the average of eight criteria, each weighted equally at 12.5%. Equal weighting keeps the system transparent: a reader can recalculate the overall score from the published figures with simple arithmetic.
| Criterion | Weight | Main questions |
|---|---|---|
| Licence and safety | 12.5% | Who regulates the operator, how accounts and data are protected |
| Game library | 12.5% | Size, providers, RTP settings, variety |
| Sportsbook | 12.5% | Margins, market depth, live betting, settlement |
| Bonuses | 12.5% | Real value after wagering, clarity of terms |
| Loyalty and cashback | 12.5% | Point rates, tier benefits, wagering on rebates |
| Payments | 12.5% | Methods, limits, fees, payout speed |
| Support | 12.5% | Availability, response time, accuracy of answers |
| Mobile | 12.5% | App or mobile site speed, stability, feature parity |
1. Licence and safety
The team checks which authority licenses the operator and confirms the licence number on the regulator's public register. A licence from a Canadian provincial regulator, such as the one overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, earns the highest marks, because players then have a local route for complaints. Offshore licences can still score well if the licence is verifiable and the operator applies identity checks, encryption and responsible gambling tools. Missing or unverifiable licensing caps this criterion at 3.
2. Game library
Size matters less than quality. The team looks at the number and reputation of providers, the balance between slots, tables and live games, and, above all, RTP settings. Many slots are released in several versions with different payback rates. The team checks a sample of popular titles in each game's info panel. A casino that uses the lowest RTP versions loses points even if its library is large. Independent testing by labs such as eCOGRA or iTech Labs is noted where providers publish it.
3. Sportsbook
The main measure is the bookmaker's margin. The team converts prices on main markets into implied probabilities and compares them with 100% across a sample of games in the NHL, NBA, NFL, CFL and European soccer. Lower average margins score higher. Market depth, the number of props, live betting speed, cash out and settlement times complete the score. Live betting is tested with real bets to measure acceptance time and rejections.
4. Bonuses
Bonuses are scored on real value, not headline size. For each offer, the team calculates the turnover required, the effect of game contribution rates, the maximum bet rule and any cap on converted winnings. A small offer with 1x rollover can outscore a large one with 40x. Clear, accessible terms add points; hidden conditions, very short expiry windows or unclear exclusions remove them.
5. Loyalty and cashback
The team measures how quickly a typical player earns points in each product, what each tier delivers in practice and how much wagering applies to rebates. Programs that return real, withdrawable value at reachable tiers score higher than those that only reward very high volumes. Manual claim windows and the risk of losing earned rewards are taken into account.
6. Payments
Payment scores are based on actual withdrawals. The team requests payouts by several methods and times each one from request to arrival. Methods popular in Canada, especially Interac e-Transfer, carry the most weight. Limits per transaction, per day and per month, fees, verification speed and the clarity of the cashier also count.
7. Support
Support is contacted at different times of day and night, including weekends. The team measures the time to a first reply and checks whether the answer was correct and complete. Availability around the clock and the quality of answers on payments and bonus rules carry the most weight.
8. Mobile
The mobile experience is tested on Android and iOS devices on Wi-Fi and mobile networks. The team measures load times, checks stability over several weeks and confirms that bonuses, cashier functions and live betting work the same as on desktop.
Benchmarks used for key measurements
To keep scores consistent, several criteria rely on fixed benchmarks. They describe typical ranges for operators open to Canadian players and are applied the same way on every review.
| Measurement | Strong | Average | Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average margin on NHL and NBA main lines | Under 4.5% | 4.5–6% | Above 6% |
| Interac payout after approval | Under 24 hours | 1–3 days | Over 3 days |
| Casino welcome wagering | Under 30x | 30x–40x | Above 40x |
| Sports welcome rollover | 1x–3x | 4x–8x | Above 8x |
| First live chat reply | Under 2 minutes | 2–5 minutes | Over 5 minutes |
| Slot RTP versions checked | All standard | Mixed | Mostly reduced |
| Mobile lobby load time | Under 3 seconds | 3–5 seconds | Over 5 seconds |
Benchmarks are a guide, not a formula. A payout that takes two days because of a bank holiday is judged differently from one delayed by the casino without explanation.
How much testing goes into a score
A full review involves at least two real-money accounts, several weeks of play, withdrawals by at least three payment methods and a minimum of ten support contacts. Margins are measured on dozens of games across several sports. Bonuses are claimed and wagered in full where possible, so that the review reflects the entire journey from deposit to withdrawal rather than the first impression.
Example: how the bonus criterion was scored
For the reviewed casino, the team looked at four offers. The sports FreeBet with 1x rollover scored at the top of the scale. The first-day insurance, with 30x on the refund and the deposit left free, scored well. The 100% match with 40x wagering, a $5 maximum bet and a $1,000 cap on winnings scored as average. Welcome spins released in daily batches with 24-hour expiry lost points for convenience. Balancing these results gave a bonus score of 8.0: strong overall, held back by the casino match.
Example: how the payments criterion was scored
Four test withdrawals were made. USDT arrived in about 35 minutes and Interac in under two hours, both strong results. A card refund took three business days and a bank transfer requested on a Friday evening arrived on Tuesday, both average. No fees were charged and verification took under two hours. The combined result was 8.5: fast on the methods Canadians use most, slower on cards and wires.
How the overall score is calculated
The eight criterion scores are added together and divided by eight, then rounded to one decimal place. For example, scores of 7.5, 9.0, 8.5, 8.0, 8.5, 8.5, 8.0 and 8.5 add up to 66.5, which gives an overall score of 8.3.
Deductions and caps
Some findings override the average because they matter more than any single feature.
- A withdrawal that is refused without a basis in the published terms caps the overall score at 5 until the issue is resolved.
- An unverifiable licence caps the overall score at 4.
- Missing responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits or self-exclusion, remove one full point from the overall score.
- Terms that change retroactively to the player's disadvantage remove at least half a point.
What does not affect a rating
The site places links to the reviewed casino under a placement agreement. That agreement has no role in scoring. The brand does not see scores before publication, cannot request changes and is rated with the same criteria that would apply to any other operator. Marketing claims are never used as evidence; only published terms and the team's own tests count.
When ratings change
Scores are reviewed whenever the casino changes a significant term, such as wagering, payment limits or the loyalty structure, and on a regular cycle in any case. Reader reports of changes are checked on a live account before a score is adjusted. When a score changes, the related sections, pros and cons and FAQ answers are updated together.
Limits of any rating system
A score summarises the experience of the editorial team's test accounts. Individual results can differ because of luck, location, payment method or account history. A high score does not mean a casino is right for everyone, and it never means that gambling is a way to make money. Readers are encouraged to read the full review, check the current terms on the casino's site and set personal limits before playing. Free help is available from organisations such as the Responsible Gambling Council.
