How We Rate Casinos
Every casino we review is tested with real money: we deposit, play and request a real withdrawal. Our rating combines that test with the casino’s own terms, payment pages and licence details. Each casino gets a score from 0 to 10 in six categories, and the weighted total is the Casino Camel Rating. The number comes from this method and nowhere else. We don’t borrow, average or adjust any other site’s rating.
What the numbers mean
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9.0-10 | Standout. Clearly better than the market, with documented evidence in most categories |
| 8.0-8.9 | Strong. Above average in several categories, with only minor disclosed catches |
| 6.5-7.9 | Solid. A licensed casino with fair terms that paid out in our test. Most good casinos land here |
| 5.1-6.4 | Mixed. Works, but has real catches you need to plan around (low limits, harsh bonus or KYC terms) |
| 0-5.0 | Real problems. Licence, operator or account terms that put your money at risk |
The weights
| Category | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Payouts | 30% | Our real-money withdrawal is our strongest first-hand evidence, and getting paid matters most |
| Licence & safety | 20% | Who you’re dealing with and where you can complain |
| Bonus terms | 15% | Bonuses are optional, and many crypto casinos now use rakeback rather than a welcome match |
| Games | 15% | Lobby breadth, live dealer, provably fair games you can verify, RTP information |
| KYC & account | 10% | When ID checks are triggered, how clearly that’s disclosed, and account closure or dormancy terms |
| Support | 10% | Channels, availability, and whether support answers a terms question accurately |
Anchored bands for each category
A typical licensed casino with fair terms that paid out lands at 7 in each category. 9-10 needs standout evidence. 5 and below needs a specific documented problem.
Payouts – 9-10: paid within stated timeframe, no casino fees, no or very high limits, no instalment or “significant win” clauses, contractual (not “we’ll try”) timeframes. – 7-8: paid within stated timeframe; standard 1x deposit rollover; limits that don’t affect typical players; minor disclosed discretion. – 5-6: paid, but low limits, fees on unwagered deposits, instalment payouts for ordinary wins, or a pattern of withdrawal-hold complaints. – 3-4: payment clauses that let the casino delay or withhold indefinitely. – 0-2: did not pay, or confiscation terms.
Licence & safety – 9-10: named operator, licence verified active on a public register, independent ADR, strong RG tools, long clean record. – 7-8: named operator, licence verified active, a working complaints route. – 5-6: licence valid but recent, region-dependent, or verified only via third parties; limited recourse (short claim windows, liability caps). – 3-4: register status unresolved (expired or ended term), no ADR, and documented RG failures or unanswered complaints. – 0-2: no verifiable licence covering the domain.
Bonus terms – 9-10: wager-free or ≤10x, no win caps, long expiry, all games count. – 7-8: rakeback or low-rollover rewards, or a match with ≤30x and plain rules; no discretionary-void clause. – 5-6: 35-40x, short expiry, slots-only weighting, free-spin win caps. – 3-4: hard caps on bonus winnings, vague “low-risk play” voiding, broad game restrictions. – 0-2: confiscatory or undisclosed bonus rules.
Games – 9-10: very large lobby from major providers, live dealer, verifiable provably fair originals, published RTPs. – 7-8: large lobby with live dealer and/or originals. – 5-6: limited or narrow lobby. – below 5: unlicensed or unverifiable game sources.
KYC & account – 9-10: KYC triggers and documents spelled out up front, with fast stated review times. – 7-8: standard KYC at withdrawal or thresholds, disclosed clearly. – 5-6: KYC “at any time”, long review windows (e.g. up to 30 working days), source-of-funds holds, video calls. – 3-4: balances forfeited for dormancy or failed KYC.
Support – 9-10: tested: fast, accurate answer to a terms question, 24/7 live chat. – 7-8: tested: helpful within a reasonable time. – 5-6: slow or partly wrong answer in our test. – below 5: no answer, or documented refusal to engage with complaints.
Untested or unevidenced categories
If we haven’t yet tested or documented a category (for example, support hasn’t been contacted yet), it gets a neutral provisional score of 6.5 (6.0 where the channels themselves aren’t documented). It’s marked “provisional” on the scorecard. Provisional is not a penalty, but it can’t earn a casino a high score: 8+ in a category needs evidence. We replace provisional scores as soon as we have the facts.
Red-flag caps
Caps are proportionate: each one limits the category it affects, and only the most serious ones cap the overall rating.
| Trigger | Cap |
|---|---|
| No verifiable licence covering the site’s domain | Licence & safety max 2; overall max 4.0 |
| Terms don’t name the operating company | Overall max 5.0 |
| Account terms that zero or confiscate balances (e.g. dormancy wipe) | KYC & account max 3; overall max 5.0 |
| Licence register shows an expired or ended term with no renewal confirmed | Licence & safety max 6 (lifted when renewal is confirmed) |
| Terms let the casino void winnings at its sole discretion with no stated criteria | Bonus terms max 5 (Payouts max 6 if the clause covers cash winnings) |
| Withdrawal caps below about USD 10,000 a month equivalent | Payouts max 5 |
How the overall rating is calculated
Overall rating = sum of (category score × weight), rounded to one decimal place, then any overall cap applies.
What we don’t use
We don’t use other review sites’ ratings, averages of them, or Trustpilot scores. Public complaint records can tell us how a term is applied in practice (for example, repeated withdrawal holds), and we cite them as evidence. Their scores never feed the number.
Our process
Read the full terms, bonus terms and privacy policy and record clause numbers. Check the operator and licence on the regulator’s register. Run a real-money test: we deposit, play and withdraw, and we record whether the withdrawal arrived within the casino’s stated timeframe. Contact support with a terms question. Re-check every review at least every 90 days, and sooner if the terms change.
What money can’t buy
Affiliate commission never changes a score, a ranking or a review’s wording.
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