Why trust CrownSpinLab.
We are an independent UK casino comparison desk. This page explains exactly how we decide what gets reviewed, how we score it and what our commercial relationships look like — so you can read our work with the right context.
Licensed-only
We will not list a casino that is not currently licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Licence numbers are checked against the public UKGC register before a review is published, and again at every editorial refresh.
Paid placement is off the table
Operators can advertise inside our reviews, but they cannot buy a higher score, a different position in the comparison or favourable wording. The scoring rubric is fixed, public and applied identically.
Real money tests
Every operator we score has been deposited into and withdrawn from with our own funds. We record verification time, payout time, support waiting time and any friction the cashier introduces — not vendor-supplied numbers.
Bonus terms read in full
Wagering, max bet during bonus, game weighting, expiry and minimum qualifying deposit are read line by line.
Safer-gambling weight
How quickly deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion can be reached counts toward the score.
Editorial independence
Reviews are written by named editors. If we change a score after publication we keep the previous score visible in the change log so readers can see why and when our view of the operator shifted.
Scoring breakdown
The composite editor score is built from four weighted blocks: safety & licensing (30%), cashier & payouts (25%), game range & software providers (20%), and bonus & promotion quality (25%). Each block is scored against fixed sub-criteria and then normalised to a 5-point scale.
We do not round up. A casino sitting on 4.45 will be displayed as 4.4, never 4.5. Where two operators tie on the composite, the casino with the faster verified payout appears higher in the comparison table.
Commercial relationships
Some links on CrownSpinLab are affiliate links. When a reader signs up at an operator through one of these links and meets that operator’s qualifying conditions, we may receive a commission from the operator. That arrangement does not change the score, the wording or the position in the table.
We will turn down a commercial relationship rather than soften criticism of an operator’s product. If an operator demands edits to a review as a condition of an advertising agreement, we walk away and note it on this page.
Corrections policy
If we get something wrong, email us. We will correct factual errors quickly and add a visible note at the bottom of the article explaining what changed and when. We do not silently rewrite history.
- Factual error in a review — corrected within 48 hours.
- Score change after operator policy update — logged with the date of change.
- Removed operator (lost UKGC licence) — taken off the comparison table immediately.
Contact the editor
Tip-offs, complaints, requests for clarification and operator press queries should go to editor@crownspinlab.com. We do not run a live phone line. Player support concerns should go to the operator first; if you cannot get a resolution, escalate through the UK Gambling Commission.