Our Research Process

A notebook about gambling is only useful if what it says is accurate. This page explains where our information comes from, how we check it and what we deliberately leave out. It applies to every entry, from slot mechanics to betting settlement rules.

The sources we lean on

• Game help screens and paytables. For slot mechanics, the game's own rules are the primary source: how features trigger, how multipliers combine, whether a published return figure exists.
• Operator terms and settlement rules. For sports markets, the published rules of several operators show how bets are graded and where practices differ.
• Official regulator pages. For anything about licensing, age limits or responsible-play tools, we look at what gambling authorities publish themselves.
• Developer descriptions. Studios often explain how their own features work, which helps us describe a mechanic in general terms.
• Reader questions. Many entries begin with a note from a reader, which tells us what is unclear in practice.

We avoid relying on forum rumours, promotional pages or anonymous "insider" claims. If something can only be found in those places, it does not go into an entry.

How a fact gets checked

1. Two independent readings. The writer drafts from the sources; a second keeper reads the same sources without seeing the draft's conclusion.
2. Examples worked by hand. Any example sum, such as how a multiplier changes a win or how a correct score bet settles, is recalculated by someone else.
3. Differences flagged. Where operators or games handle something differently, the entry says so instead of picking one version.
4. Dated and revisited. Entries carry their date, and pages that depend on terms or rules are reread when a reader reports a change.

What we never do

• Invent statistics, studies, quotes or survey results.
• Present a made-up example number as a real figure. Examples are always marked as invented.
• Quote payout rates or odds that a game or operator has not published.
• Describe anyone as an expert to make a point sound stronger.

When we get something wrong

Mistakes still happen. When a reader points one out, we check it against the sources again, correct the page and, where the change matters, say so in the text. You can report an error through Send Us a Note; please include the page and the line in question.

Our writing habits are set out on Our House Style, and the reasons we never score games with numbers are on Behind Our Ratings. All entries are written for adults aged 18 and over, and readers should always check the rules that apply where they live.