How We Rate Offers
Every offer on Casino Compare shows an estimated value, a risk rating and a difficulty rating. This page explains how we rate offers, which operators we list and how we make money, so you can decide how much to rely on our figures.
How We Rate Offers: Key Facts
- We only list operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
- Estimated value is the average profit you could expect from an offer. It is not a guarantee.
- Risk shows how much of your own money you could lose while completing an offer.
- Difficulty shows how many steps an offer involves and how much experience it needs.
- We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links. This never changes our ratings or estimated values.
- We check offers regularly and update or remove them when the terms change.
Who reviews our offers?
Offers and guides on Casino Compare are reviewed by Jon, our editor. Jon has worked in the UK iGaming industry for over six years, running comparison and review sites.
We test offers ourselves: opening real accounts, making deposits, timing withdrawals and going through the verification process to see what players actually experience. We also read the full terms behind every bonus, so wagering requirements, game restrictions and maximum win caps are spelled out plainly. You can read more about Jon.
How do we calculate estimated value?
Estimated value is the average return you could expect from completing an offer. In other words, it takes the value of the bonus and subtracts the money you would expect to lose while qualifying for it.
For free spins, we look at the number of spins, the value of each spin and the return to player (RTP) of the game. For bonuses with wagering, we also factor in the expected cost of playing through the wagering requirement. Finally, for free bets, we estimate how much of the free bet’s value can usually be kept.
To illustrate, here is a simple example. Say you wager £10 on a slot with 96% RTP and get 100 free spins worth 10p each on the same slot:
- Expected loss on the £10 qualifying wager: £10 x 4% = £0.40
- Expected winnings from the free spins: 100 x £0.10 x 96% = £9.60
- Estimated value: £9.60 minus £0.40 = £9.20
Keep in mind that estimated value is an average across many players. Slots are random, so your own result on any single offer could be higher or lower. Read what RTP in slots means or run your own numbers with our wagering calculator.
What do the risk ratings mean?
- Very Low Risk. You’re very unlikely to lose any of your own money completing the offer, for example an email sign-up cashback offer.
- Low Risk. You could lose a small part of your qualifying stake, usually a few pounds.
- Medium Risk. Results can swing more, and you could lose a larger share of your deposit.
- High Risk. You could lose your whole deposit, often while playing through a large bonus.
However, a higher risk rating does not mean an offer is bad. Instead, it means you need a bigger buffer of money you can afford to lose. Our bankroll management guide explains how to plan for this.
What do the difficulty ratings mean?
- Easy (one star). A few simple steps with a small deposit or stake. No special knowledge needed. See our easy casino offers.
- Medium (two stars). More steps or conditions, such as a wagering requirement or an accumulator bet. See our medium casino offers.
- Advanced (three stars). Complex terms, bigger deposits and more wagering. Best for experienced players. See our advanced casino offers.
Which operators do we list?
We only list casinos, bookmakers and bingo sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. This matters because licensed operators must verify your age and identity, protect your money and give you tools to control your gambling.
The offers we list are welcome offers for new UK customers aged 18 and over. In other words, we do not list unlicensed or offshore sites.
How often do we check offers?
We review offers regularly against each operator’s terms. As soon as a headline, value or condition changes, we update the offer. Likewise, when an offer ends, we remove it from our listings.
In addition, each offer page shows the date of its latest review. If you spot something that looks wrong, please report an error and we’ll check it.
How does Casino Compare make money?
Casino Compare is free to use. We may earn a commission from an operator when you sign up through a link on our site. However, this does not cost you anything.
Importantly, commission never affects our estimated values, risk ratings or difficulty ratings. By default, offers are ranked by estimated value, and you can also sort them alphabetically or by when they were last updated.
Gambling responsibly
Casino and betting offers should be fun, not a way to make money you need. For that reason, only deposit money you can afford to lose, set deposit limits on every account and take regular breaks.
In addition, you can block access to all UK-licensed gambling sites through GamStop. Free and confidential support is available from GambleAware. You must be 18 or over to gamble.
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