How We Score

Find out the method behind our gambling site scores

Our mission is to bring you the best online gambling sites, from sportsbooks to casinos and much more. To do that, we need to go through the hundreds of gambling sites out there and separate the good from the not so good. 

Our expert review team leaves no stone unturned when it comes to finding the best gambling sites. For every site we review, we follow strict criteria to produce reliable, unbiased scores out of 100. These scores give you an instant idea of how good a gambling site is across the board.

The types of gambling products we score

Before we get into just how we score, let’s first take a look at the products we review:

We cover every type of gambling product out there so that we can provide you with reliable scores, regardless of your gambling preference. Whether you want to bet on your favourite sports team, play live casino games or enter the lottery, we’ve got you covered.

As well as our review scores, we now have a testing regime that is rolling out across more and more providers. Find out how we test providers with our own real money deposits.

Our method

The scores we assign to gambling sites are made of many factors. We check out everything from the gambling products and bonuses on offer to the mobile compatibility and payment methods, assigning a score to each. We also break down the scoring for each of these features to make sure each score is as reliable as possible. 

For example, instead of just assigning an arbitrary score to a casino bonus, we score the bonus amount, the percentage match and the wagering requirements. We then add these together to add together to give the total score for the bonus. We do this for every different feature of a gambling site, add them together and then divide the total by the total maximum score for each section. We then times the result by 100 to give us the final percentage score out of 100.

Is our scoring method perfect? We doubt it could ever be. But it continues to evolve quickly, drawing upon more research and data points to build a clearer picture of what the brand really has to offer.


Betting

There’s a number of factors to consider when choosing a sportsbook to bet at. First up, you’ll want to check the markets on offer to make sure you can bet on your preferred sports, particularly if you’re a fan of more niche sports like darts or cycling. You’ll also want to make sure the sportsbook offers your favourite betting markets.

Next up, you’ll want to make sure there’s an attractive welcome bonus on offer, which is why we score bonuses based on bonus type, amount, qualifying requirement and key terms. Finally, we check out the features available at each betting site we review, from cash out to in-play betting, to create the most reliable scores around.

In this section: SportsMarketsBonusFeatures

Sports

Sports Score
Football  10
Horse racing 10
Tennis  10
Boxing  10
American football  10
Basketball  10
Hockey  10
Baseball  10
Cricket  10
Golf  10
MMA/UFC 10
Rugby Union 10
Rugby League 10
Cycling  10
Darts  10
Motorsports  10
Greyhounds  10
Ice hockey 10
Gaelic sports 10
Virtual sports  10

Markets 

Number of markets Score
101+ 100
91-100 90
81-90 75
71-80 60
61-70 45
51-60 30
0-50 15

Bonus

Qualifying deposit (£) Score
1-10 35
11-20 30
21-39 25
31-40 20
41-50 15
Bonus Amount (£) Score
50+ 35
40-49 30
30-39 25
20-29 20
10-19 10
Bonus time limit (days) Score
16+ 30
11-15 25
5-10 20
1-4 15
0 0
Risk-free bet  Score
£11 – £20 30
£1 – £10 25
Odds boost Score
x2+ 3

Features 

Features Score
Cash out 10
Best odds guaranteed  10
Live in-play betting 10
Accumulators  10
Odds boosts 10
Existing customer offers 10

Casino

The first thing more players will want to know about an online casino is the games on offer. This is why we have a detailed system for the games libraries of the casinos we review. We score casinos on the types of games on offer, from slots to keno, the live casino offering, the number of games, as well as the number of software providers used. This ensures that we can score casinos based on the size and variety of the game library.

Secondly, we take a detailed look at the bonuses available, so that our scores reflect the quality of each offer. We do this by scoring the size of the bonus amount, the percentage match, as well as the key term and condition: the wagering requirement. This allows us to identify the most generous casino bonuses on the market.

Games Score
Slots  30
Roulette  20
Blackjack  20
Live casino 10
Poker  5
Baccarat  3
Craps  3
Bingo  3
Keno  2
Lotteries  2
Scratchcards  2

Slots

Number of slots Score
601+ 60
401-600 55
201-400 50
101-200 45
1-100 40
Number of software providers Score
11+ 40
8-10 35
5-7 30
2-4 25
1 2

Roulette

Number of roulette games Score
31+ 60
21-30 55
16-20 50
11-15 40
6-10 30
1-5 20
Number of software providers Score
4+ 40
3 35
2 30
1 20

Blackjack

Number of blackjack games  Score
40+ 60
31-40 55
21-30 50
16-20 40
11-15 30
6-10 20
1-5 10
Number of software providers Score
4+ 40
3 35
2 30
1 20

Live casino

Number of live casino games  Score
101+ 60
81-100 55
61-80 50
31-60 45
11-30 40
1-10 35
Number of software providers Score
4+ 40
3 30
2 20

Bonus

Bonus amount Score
300+ 30
100-299 25
50-99 20
1-49 15
Percentage match  Score
201+ 30
101-200 25
51-100 20
1-50 15
Wagering requirement  Score
0 30
1-30 25
31-40 20
41+ 15
Free spins Score
101 10
81-100 8
51-80 6
31-50 4
1-30 2

Bingo

When searching for an online bingo site, first up you’ll want to check out the bingo variations on offer. Most sites offer 90 ball and 75 ball games, but we score the whole games library, also checking out 5 line games, themed games and so on. As many bingo sites these days also have online slot games, we score them based on the number of slots to give you an idea of the extensiveness of the games library.

Like with online sportsbooks and casinos, we also score the bonus offering at bingo sites. We score the bonus amount, the qualifying deposit, the wagering requirement and the free spins offering – the four key components of bingo bonuses.

Bingo variations Score
90 ball 20
75 ball 20
5 ball 20
80 ball 15
40 ball 15
Themed games 10
Number of slots Score
601+ 50
401-600 45
201-400 40
101-200 35
1-100 30

Bonus

Bonus amount  Score
£300+ 30
£100 – £299 25
£50 – £99 20
£1 – £49  15
Qualifying deposit Score
£0 30
£1 – £10 25
£11+ 20
Wagering  Score
0 30
1-10 25
11-20 20
30+ 15
Free spins  Score
40+ 10
31-40 8
21-30 6
11-20 4
1-10 2

Lottery

Do you dream of winning big on a lottery? The best online lottery sites have opened up a whole new world of opportunities, offering lotteries from all around the world. This is why we look at the amount of lotteries available on each site and score them accordingly, so we can easily identify those that have the most draws.

We also check out whether there are syndicate options at the lottery sites we review. Syndicates allow you to buy lottery tickets or shares as part of a large group of other people, and the higher number of tickets means a greater chance of winning. These are understandably in high demand among online lottery players, so we take the time to check whether they’re available and then score the site accordingly.

Lotteries Score
45+ 60
41-45 55
36-40 50
31-35 45
26-30 40
21-25 35
16-20 30
11-15 25
6-10 20
1-5 15

Syndicate options

Syndicate options Score
Syndicates available 40

Poker

Fancy going head to head against other players in online poker? While there aren’t as many poker sites as there are sportsbooks or casinos, you still need to find the best for you. We take an in-depth look at the games offered at each poker site we review, scoring them based on whether they offer the four most popular variations – Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Poker.

Poker variations

Poker variations Score
Texas Hold’em 25
Omaha 25
Omaha Hi/Lo 25
Stud 25

Esports

Esports betting has exploded in recent years and is now in high demand online. When looking at an esports betting site for the first time, we go straight to the betting markets section to see which esports are available. We then score sites based on their offering, with popular esports like CS:GO and League of Legends generating the highest marks.

Just like many sports punters are keen on a bonus, so are esports bettors. We score the bonuses available at esports betting sites based on the bonus amount and percentage match, which makes it easy for us to separate the most generous offers from the rest.

Esports available Score
CS:GO 20
League of Legends 20
Call of Duty 20
Dota 2 10
Overwatch 10
Starcraft 2
Rainbow Six 10

Bonus

Bonus amount  Score
31+ 100
21-30 75
11-20 50
1-10 25
Percentage match  Score
100%+ 80
50% – 99% 40
25% – 49% 20

Standardised scored features 

The above scores are all independent to the vertical, because, for example, you can’t compare a betting site’s sports markets to a casinos slots collection. However, other factors such as mobile compatibility, payments and security are a part of all gambling sites, regardless of the product. This is why we’ve created standardised scores for the following factors, to give you the most reliable gambling site ratings possible. 

Mobile app 

Mobile gambling is more popular than ever and is the preferred way of betting and playing games for many players. Most gambling sites offer mobile websites which you can access from web browsers on smartphones and tablets, but it’s native mobile apps that provide the smoothest online gambling experience. 

As iOS and Android mobile apps are specifically designed for your device, they can offer an improved user interface and better functionality than websites. They also have the added benefit of push notifications, which you can activate so you’re alerted to the latest promotions and news. We score gambling sites based on the devices they have mobile apps for.

Mobile apps Score
iPhone  40
Android  40
Windows  20

Loyalty/VIP scheme

It’s always nice to get rewarded for the money you spend, which is why many of the best gambling sites have devised loyalty and VIP schemes. These reward you points depending on how much and how frequently you play, and you then exchange points for exciting prizes and perks. However, not all sites offer loyalty schemes, so we check whether we do and then score them positively if it’s ayes.

Loyalty/VIP scheme Score
Yes 10

Payment methods

It’s always important that you can deposit and withdraw using a method that suits you. For this reason, our review team finds out the payment and withdrawal methods available at each site. We check whether gambling sites offer five popular methods and assign a score to each. This allows us to give you an accurate representation of the variety of payment methods on offer. 

Payment methods Score
VISA 40
PayPal 30
Neteller 10
Skrill 10
Paysafecard 5
Bank transfer 5

Banking 

As well as being able to use your preferred banking methods, you’ll probably want to play at a gambling site that has fair banking terms.

Min deposit  Score
£5 40
£10 35
£15 30
£20 25
Min withdrawal  Score
£0 40
£5 35
£10 30
£15 25
£20 20
Average withdrawal time Score
1-2 days 20
3-4 days 15
5-6 days 10
7+ days 5

Customer support

It’s always handy to have a customer support worker on hand in case you ever have any questions or queries. This is why we check out the customer contact options of each gambling site we review, as well as the customer service opening hours.

Contact options Score
Email 10
Phone 10
Live chat 10
Twitter 10
Facebook 10
Contact hours  Score
24 50
17-23 40
10-16 30
1-9 10

Security 

Security is always important when it comes to providing your personal information and financial details to online gambling sites. We score casinos on their security firstly by checking whether they’re licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. This ensures that the gambling site is regulated and uses industry-standard data encryption to keep your information secure.

We also check the level of protection a gambling site gives your funds. This is because, while the UKGC lays out the minimum protection level, gambling sites are then free to choose whether they provide the minimum level, medium or high. 

UKGC licence  Score
Yes 80
No 0
Funds protection level Score
High 20
Medium 10
Low 0

Reputation

With so many gambling sites out there, and a mix of new sites as well as more established ones, it’s helpful to be able to get a quick understanding of how reputable a site is. There’s a number of different factors that contribute to a gambling site’s reputation.

First up is a site’s commitment to responsible gambling, which is indicated by whether it’s signed up to Gamstop, the national self-exclusion scheme. Whether a gambling site’s owner has ever received any sanctions from the UKGC is another good way to tell whether a site is reputable. Thirdly, we consider the launch date. This is because, generally speaking, the longer an operator has been in the business, the more experience it has and therefore a stronger reputation.

Gamstop  Score
Yes 20
No 0
Ownership sanctions/actions Score
Yes 0
No 20
Ownership launch date Score
Pre-2000 40
2001-2005 35
2006-2010 30
2011-2015 25
2016-present 20

White label

You may not be familiar with the term ‘white label’, and if so, you’re probably wondering why this is relevant to our scoring system. White-label gambling site is a site that uses a platform created by another company but uses its own branding. There are many white label gambling sites out there, which provide a similar gaming experience with a few tweaks and differences. 

This is why we check whether a gambling site is white-label or not. It’s not because white label gambling sites don’t provide a quality gaming experience – far from it. However, non-white label gambling sites generally provide a fresher, more unique experience. This is because they can offer new and innovative features in the way most white label gambling sites don’t.

White label Score
No 20
Yes 0

Use our scores to find your perfect match

So there we have it – how we score our top-rated gambling sites. Now you know the logic behind it, you can start using our scores to compare the best betting sites, casinos and so on. Simply compare, sign up and get started today!

The people behind this page

Compare.bet's online gambling content experts helped write, edit and check this page:

Daniel is Head of Operations at Compare.bet. He has half a decade of experience writing on topics including sports betting, online casino and the NBA. Daniel also covers Premier League football for Compare.bet news and has interviewed Louis Saha, Richard Dunne and Gary Pallister. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys film photography and making Spotify playlists.