How We Test and Review Slot Sites at AllSlotSites.com

By: Editor, All Slot Sites

Published On: 28th November 2022

At allslotsites.com it is our goal to provide you with the tools to find trusted, safe and fair casinos where you can play your favourite online slot games. To achieve this aim we have carefully selected slot sites for our lists that are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Each site is reviewed by one of our writers and a rigorous testing and research process is followed so that we can publish an accurate and unbiased account of the player experience.

Categories and Site Scores

There are many parts that make up the overall experience at a slot site. We have chosen 10 categories to score each site on. This is so that our readers can evaluate a casino specifically on the areas that are important to them before they register. So, if the sign-up deal is most important to you, check the score there. Or if payout speed is your big priority then you can check that score instead.

After we have scored each site across the 10 categories we also calculate an overall score which is an average of the 10. We use these to rank and compare the sites in our lists.

Here are the 10 categories and the scoring system we use for each.

Sign Up Offer

1-4 – None or only limited sign-up offer with one match bonus with strict wagering and withdrawal limits.

5-7 – A one-deposit match bonus offer with none or a limited number of free spins. Maximum bonus may be low, typically capped at £50, and with strict wagering and withdrawal limits.

8-10 – A good value sign-up bonus with a low minimum deposit threshold and high maximum bonus. Typically includes up to 100 free spins, sometimes with winnings paid in cash and sometimes with the packages split across multiple deposits.

Website UX and Registration

1-4 – Basic white label casino with no real brand identity. Poor user experience. May have broken pages or missing information or information that is hard to read.

5-7 – White label or independent casino with good user experience. Registration and account pages are functional and all important information is accessible. Game menu may be basic with limited search or filter functions.

8-10 – White label or independent casino with interesting branding or theme. Nice website which is easy to use and navigate with all important information very easy to find. Game menu may have sophisticated search and filter functions to help search an extensive catalogue. Site may have a mobile app too.

Online Slots

1-4 – Basic slots selection of up to 300 games with up to 10 suppliers.

5-7 – Typically more than 500 games from more than 20 suppliers. May include only a limited jackpot selection. Updated each month with new titles.

8-10 – Typically more than 1,000 games from more than 50 suppliers and includes over 50 jackpot titles from most of the major progressive networks. At the top level will include games from many niche suppliers as well as major providers. Updated with new titles weekly or even daily.

Live Dealer

1 to 4 – No live dealer games available.

5 to 7 – Limited live dealer choice, typically just one supplier.

8 to 10 – Good live dealer selection from more than one supplier. Typically access to the full Evolution Gaming list as well as one of the suites from Pragmatic Play, Authentic, Playtech or Stake Logic. Suitable for all player levels from low stakes to VIP. May have Salon Prive and exclusive tables.

Player Promotions

1 to 4 – Little or no player promotion activity on site after sign-up.

5 to 7 – Limited player promotions. Typically, one match bonus or leaderboard offer per month and / or basic loyalty program.

8 to 10 – At least one weekly offer for players. Typically, a deposit match, free spins deal, leaderboard, prize draw or cashback. Site may have an integrated loyalty program with points awarded for wagering, level-ups, power bars and rewards at each new level. Slots tournaments are fully integrated into the game window and update in real time.

Cashier Options

1 to 4 – Basic cashier with debit card option for deposits and withdrawals. Fees may be applied to transactions.

5 to 7 – Typically a basic cashier with debit cards and eWallet options for deposits and withdrawals. Fees may be applied to transactions. Minimum deposit and withdrawal levels may be greater than £10.

8 to 10 – Cashier includes debit cards, eWallets, pre-paid cards and sometimes mobile services. Minimum deposit and withdrawals are usually lower than £20. Typically, no fees for transactions.

Payout Speed

1 to 4 – Transactions always take longer than 48 hours to process in testing.

5 to 7 – Transactions always take between 12 and 48 hours to process in testing.

8 to 10 – Transactions always take up to 12 hours to process in testing.

Customer Support

1 to 4 – No live chat or phone support on site. Only email support. Limited support hours.

5 to 7 – Live chat and email but no phone support. Limited support hours. Response time to live chat up to 10 minutes. Site includes FAQ section.

8 to 10 – Live chat, email (and sometimes) phone support with response time under 5 minutes. Usually 24/7 support hours. Good site FAQs accessible from all pages.

KYC Process

1 to 4 – Documents for KYC checks are processed manually via email. Takes 48 hours or longer in tests.

5 to 7 – Documents for KYC checks are processed manually via email in up to 48 hours.

8 to 10 – Documents for KYC checks are uploaded via account pages or 3rd party systems like Hooyu to be processed manually or automatically. Typically takes less than a few hours to complete.

License and Reputation

1 to 4 – Licensed in the UK. May have history of fines or other sanctions from the regulator. Scores poorly at consumer review sites like Trust Pilot and Casinomeister.

5 to 7 – Licensed in the UK and one or more other jurisdictions. May have history of fines or other sanctions from the regulator. Scores average at consumer review sites like Trust Pilot and Casinomeister.

8 to 10 – Licensed in the UK and one or more other jurisdictions. Typically will have no history of fines or other sanctions from the regulator. Scores above average at consumer review sites like Trust Pilot and Casinomeister.

Testing and Research

To arrive at the scores for each site we carry out background checks on each site and operator, gather information from the websites themselves and carry out real money testing of each casino to assess the player experience for real.

This is a summary of the work that goes into each slot site review.

Casino and Operator Background Checks

Each review begins with an information gathering exercise. This is to understand more about the operator behind the casino as well as the casino itself. We want to know that it is offering a legit service.

Our team answers the following questions:

Who is the casino operator and where are they licensed?
Where is the casino operator based?
Has the operator been the subject of any regulatory sanctions in the past?
When did the casino launch?
Does the casino have any sister sites?
How does the casino score at consumer review sites across the web like Ask Gamblers, Trust Pilot and Casinomiester?

Casino Set Up and Service Level

The next stage of the review process is to load up and review the casino itself, from game catalogue to cashier and sign-up bonus.

Our aim is to answer the following questions:

Which game providers are partnered with the casino?
How many games are on offer here? How many progressive jackpots are available?
Are there any notable omissions from the game catalogue?
What Return to Player (RTP) level are games offered at?
Which payment options are available?
What thresholds are there on deposits and withdrawals?
What is the sign-up bonus? And what is the configuration of wagering requirements, maximum cashouts and game eligibility?
Are there any regular player promotions or loyalty programs available on the site?
How can the support team be contacted and what hours are they available?
What are the withdrawal processing times for each payment service?

Real Money Testing of the Casino

Once we have gathered all the information that we need we move on to real money testing of the casino. We carry out the following tests.

Website Usability – browse the website on mobile and desktop to be sure all information is clear, readable and accurate, links are easy to follow and key functions work.
Registration – sign up an account to test the process, note any issues and review the time taken.
Deposit – we deposit up to £50 using a debit card and one eWallet to be sure they work. We note any delays caused by account verification.
Sign Up Bonus – We claim the sign-up bonus and play through our free spins and bonus to assess the player experience from deposit through to fulfilment of the bonus. This includes assessing how easy it is to see how far we have progressed in completing our wagering requirements.
Games and Game Menu – We browse the game menu, search for our favourites and load up a selection of games to test the user experience.
Account Verification – We verify our account by providing requested documentation like passport scan, driver license scan, utility bills and payment card scan. We test the speed of the process and the efficiency of any tools required to upload your documents.
Withdrawals – We make a withdrawal to debit card and one to eWallet noting the speed of the transaction.
Customer Support – We utilise the support services to assess how efficient and timely their responses are and their availability at different times of day. This includes assessing the live chat function and any AI bots that are used.

Writing and Publishing our Review

The final stage of the process is to write and publish the review, including scores for each of our 10 categories.

You will also find useful comparison charts in our reviews where you can compare sites against their rivals. We compare sites on the sign-up deal and headline figures like number of slots, number of jackpot games, number of providers and overall score.

Drawing Our Conclusions

In conclusion we give you our verdict on the strengths and weaknesses of each slot site. This is a summary of the key points from our testing and research.

Ultimately, every player will have a different combination of preferences for their casino. For some, a low wagering requirement on the sign-up bonus may be important. For others, it may be finding games by a less well-known game provider like Thunderkick. And for others, a payment service like Paypal may be a must-have. Our reviews are written to give you a detailed, accurate and objective assessment of each slot site. And then, it’s over to you to make your mind up about where you want to play.