How We Rate Bookmakers

There is a specific process by which each bookmaker receives its ratings on BookieScout, regardless of the country. We disclose our rating criteria along with their weightings so that you can see how it works.

Our Rating in a Nutshell

Each online betting website will be rated out of ten points, considering seven different factors:

Factor Weight (%) Things we look at
Licensing & Security 20% Licensing information, account safety, terms of use
Financial Matters 20% Local payment methods, limits and fees, withdrawal time
Bonus Offer 15% Wagering requirements, minimum odds, expiration, cashout limit
Odds & Markets 15% Odds for major events, market depth, in-game betting
Mobile Betting 10% Applications and websites for mobile devices, usability
Customer Service 10% Available customer service, help center information
Responsible Gaming 10% Limit deposits, time-out, self-exclusion

What the scores mean

  • 9–10: Excellent
  • 8–8.9: Very good
  • 7–7.9: Good, with some trade-offs
  • 6–6.9: Fair, with clear limitations
  • Below 6: Weak

Our themed lists, such as best for football or fastest withdrawals, use the same data but focus on the criteria that matter most for that need.

How we create our rating

  1. 1 Availability

    We ensure that the bookmaker takes players from your country. If not, we do not include the operator in that particular issue.

  2. 2 Research

    We gather the data from official sources like the operator’s terms of use, bonus terms, payment pages and help center, plus the regulator’s information and official app store descriptions.

  3. 3 Scoring

    Each criterion gets a score from 1 to 10 using the identical checklist for all operators.

  4. 4 Review

    A second team member verifies the most essential details before the publication.

  5. 5 Updates

    The date of the last revision is provided with each review. We change the rating if some crucial aspects have changed – a bonus, a payment option, withdrawal terms.

Bonus Maths

We judge bonuses by their real value, not the headline number. A simple example:

  • You deposit $100 and receive $100 in bonuses.
  • You need to place 5 wagers using the bonuses at odds of 1.50+ within 7 days.
  • The total qualifying wagers will be $500.

The total becomes double if the bet involves the deposit and the bonus, making it 1,000. It is always better to go for small bonuses with fair conditions than large bonuses with difficult withdrawal terms.

Red Flags

These lower a score significantly:

  • Hidden or unclear terms
  • Withdrawal rules that aren't shown before you deposit
  • Missing or inconsistent licence or company information
  • Hard-to-find responsible gambling tools
  • Pushing unofficial app downloads
  • Repeated, confirmed complaints about unpaid winnings

Local Editions

The criteria and weights remain the same worldwide, so that the evaluations can be compared. The information evaluated within each criterion will depend on the country, meaning the local regulator, currency, the most common means of payment, and betting league. This is why the same bookmaker may get different scores in two surveys.

What Does Our Rating NOT Mean?

Independence

We might earn an affiliate commission for any signup you make using our links. It doesn’t affect our score: all operators are judged by the same standards. Read more about our Affiliate Disclosure and Editorial Policy.

Found a Problem?

If anything seems out-of-date or incorrect, let us know. We investigate every report and add an update to the review date if changes are made.