About Us
Bethan Winstanley
Online Casinos is an independent comparison and review site built specifically for UK players who want straightforward, honest guidance on casinos not on GamStop. We research the options, weigh up the detail, and present our findings so you can make an informed decision — without the marketing spin.
This page explains who runs the site, how we work, and what standards we hold ourselves to. If you want to see our current recommendations, head over to our best non-GamStop casinos for UK players guide.
Who We Are
The site is written and maintained by Bethan Winstanley, a gambling industry researcher and content specialist with a focus on the UK market. Bethan's work centres on offshore and internationally licensed casino platforms — the kind of sites that accept UK players but operate outside the GamStop self-exclusion network.
Our editorial process is independent. No operator pays for a positive write-up, and no commercial arrangement changes where a site sits in our rankings. We earn commission when readers follow links and sign up to the casinos we cover — that relationship is declared openly on every page that carries recommendations, and it does not determine which sites we rate most highly or what drawbacks we report.
What We Do
We research, compare and rank casinos that operate outside the GamStop scheme and are accessible to UK players. Our focus is specifically on highest-payout casinos not on GamStop — platforms where the return-to-player rates, bonus structures and withdrawal processes give players the best realistic chance of keeping more of what they win.
Every site we cover is reviewed against the same criteria:
- Payout percentages and the transparency with which they are reported
- Withdrawal speed, limits and the fees attached to each payment method
- Bonus terms — wagering requirements, game restrictions and expiry conditions
- Game range across slots, table games and live-dealer rooms
- Licensing and the consumer protections available under that licence
- Deposit options relevant to UK players, including card, e-wallet and crypto routes
- Mobile usability and support quality
The Casinos We Currently Cover
We only ever name and review the operators we have actively researched. The table below shows the casinos currently covered on this site alongside their editorial rating and headline welcome offer, so you can see at a glance how the field compares.
| Casino | Editorial Rating | Welcome Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Betmica | 9.9 / 10 | 570% up to £5,700 + 270 Free Spins |
| Smash Casino | 9.9 / 10 | 600% up to €10,000 Slots Welcome Package |
| Kikibet | 9.8 / 10 | 350% up to £5,555 + 300 Free Spins |
| Rivo | 9.8 / 10 | 1000% up to €10,000 + 25% cashback |
| Betninja | 9.7 / 10 | £1,000 Bonus + 100 Free Spins |
| WinnerIsland | 9.6 / 10 | Up to €1,000 + 100 Free Spins |
| Zombillion | 9.5 / 10 | 250% up to £4,000 + 200 Free Spins |
| Gambiva | 9.3 / 10 | 800% up to €10,000 |
| Nightluck | 9.1 / 10 | €6,400 + 280 Free Spins + 805% |
| Daytonaspin | 9.1 / 10 | 255% up to £4,500 + 255 Free Spins |
Welcome offers are subject to terms and conditions set by each operator. Always check the current eligibility requirements, wagering conditions and expiry dates directly with the casino before depositing. 18+ only.
How Our Ratings Work
Editorial ratings are assigned by our research team after reviewing each casino against a fixed set of criteria. They are not customer-review aggregates, star ratings submitted by users, or figures supplied by the operators themselves. A rating reflects our independent assessment at the time of review and is updated when material changes to a casino's terms, ownership or licensing occur.
The factors that carry the most weight in our scoring are:
- Payout performance — the published return-to-player rates across the game library, and how reliably withdrawals are processed
- Bonus fairness — whether wagering requirements are realistic and whether restrictions are clearly stated upfront
- Licence strength — which jurisdiction the casino is registered under and what protections that provides to UK players
- Game breadth — the range of slots, live tables and other formats available
- Payment options — the methods accepted for deposit and withdrawal, and the limits and fees that apply
Commission does not buy position. A casino that pays us a higher affiliate rate does not move up the rankings as a result. If we identify a meaningful problem with an operator — slow withdrawals, opaque bonus terms, complaint-handling failures — that is reflected in the rating and reported in the review, regardless of any commercial relationship.
Our Editorial Standards
We do not claim to have deposited money into, played at, or withdrawn from every casino we review. We research each operator through publicly available information, licence records, published terms and conditions, player feedback channels and industry sources. Where we have a view, we say so. Where the evidence is unclear, we say that too.
We never invent statistics — no catalogue counts, no withdrawal speeds presented as tested results, no invented bonus values. If a fact changes after our last review date, it may not yet be reflected on the site; the fact-check date shown on each page tells you when it was last verified.
A Note on GamStop and Self-Exclusion
GamStop is the UK's national self-exclusion register, operated as a free service and linked to all UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators. When a player registers with GamStop, participating casinos are required to prevent them from accessing their accounts for the chosen exclusion period.
The casinos covered on this site are not registered with GamStop and are not UKGC-licensed. They hold licences in other jurisdictions — commonly Curaçao — which means they are not bound by the GamStop scheme. UK players can access them, but the consumer protections afforded by UKGC regulation, including the GamStop link, do not apply.
We cover these platforms because there is a genuine demand for clear, accurate information about them. We present the facts, including the protections that are absent, and leave the decision with the reader. We do not tell adults what they should or should not do with their own money.
Players who want to understand alternative self-exclusion options available at non-GamStop casinos will find that most reputable offshore operators offer their own responsible gaming tools — session limits, deposit caps and self-exclusion requests handled directly through their support teams.
Get in Touch
If you have a question about our methodology, a correction to suggest, or a query about how the site works, we welcome the contact. You can reach the team through our contact page.
We read every message and aim to respond within a few working days. We do not take operator submissions or accept payment for reviews.