The six sub-scores
Our editorial score is a weighted composite of six dimensions, each scored 0–10. The weights are deliberately even-ish — no single dimension can drive the entire ranking.
| Dimension | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Value | 18% | Welcome offer face value at minimum deposit, divided by effective wagering cost. Adjusted for max-win caps and time-to-clear. |
| App Experience | 18% | Cold-start speed (timed), iOS & Android store ratings (rolling 12-month), navigation complexity score, accessibility audit. |
| Game Variety | 16% | Bingo format coverage (90, 75, 80, 30, 50, Slingo, Pattern), room schedule breadth, RTP transparency. |
| Withdrawal Speed | 18% | Median withdrawal time across 30+ test withdrawals per operator. Variance also scored. |
| Chat & Community | 15% | Hosted chat hours, host responsiveness, chat-room sentiment scoring (manual sample), tournament participation. |
| Responsible Tools | 15% | Deposit-limit accessibility, reality-check defaults, GAMSTOP integration, self-exclusion friction. |
The testing protocol
- Account opening. Register fresh test account using approved test identity (UKGC-compliant). Time the verification process. Log all friction.
- Deposit testing. Test every supported deposit method at minimum, mid, and maximum values. Log instant-credit or delay.
- Welcome bonus. Claim. Track wagering progress in a spreadsheet. Time-to-clear logged.
- Gameplay. Minimum 200 ticket purchases across all available bingo formats over the testing period. We don't optimise to win — we play standard sessions.
- Withdrawals. Minimum 30 withdrawals across the testing period, varying amount and payment method. Each timed from request to landed-in-bank.
- Chat-room sampling. Minimum 25 hours of chat-room observation across peak and off-peak hours. Host quality manually scored.
- Customer support. Live chat, email, and phone (if available) contact. Response time and quality both scored.
- Responsible-gambling stress test. Set deposit limits at every level. Trigger reality-check. Initiate (and rescind) self-exclusion. Friction logged at each step.
- Mobile app audit. Cold-start timed on iPhone 12 and Pixel 7. Accessibility audit (VoiceOver, TalkBack). Push notifications tested.
What we don't do
- We don't accept payment for placement. Operators have offered. We have declined.
- We don't share drafts with operators. They see the published review at the same time as readers.
- We don't adjust scores for affiliate value. The two are separate processes, handled by different teams, with no cross-referencing.
- We don't review unlicensed operators favourably. Operators without UKGC, MGA or Gibraltar licences are listed only with explicit risk warnings, never in the editorial top 50.
- We don't recommend offshore bonus chasing. Offshore 30× wagering offers will always score lower than 4× UK offers, even when the headline value is higher.
Re-testing schedule
Top-25 operators are re-tested every six months. Operators ranked 26–50 every nine months. The long tail every 12 months. Withdrawal-speed numbers and welcome-offer terms are checked weekly across the top 25 and updated on the listing pages within 48 hours of any change.
What changes between methodology versions
We publish a methodology version number (currently v3.2) and release notes. Major version changes (v2 → v3) happen when we add or remove a sub-score; we re-score the entire top 25 within four weeks. Minor versions (v3.1 → v3.2) update weights or measurement protocols; we re-score within eight weeks.
Past methodology versions are kept publicly accessible. If a score has changed because the operator improved, you can see it. If a score has changed because we changed how we measure, you can see that too.
"The score is only as honest as the methodology. The methodology is only as honest as it is public."
Disagreement
Operators occasionally dispute our scores. We will publish their disagreement alongside ours, in full, with no edits. We will not change the score in response to commercial pressure. We have lost three affiliate agreements over published reviews. We will lose more.
Audit
An external editor unrelated to the publication reviews our scoring annually. The 2025 audit report is here. The 2026 audit is in progress.