What we look at, and what we ignore.
The full criteria sit on the editorial review policy page. This is the friendlier version — the bits a reader actually wants to know before signing up anywhere.
We start with the licence
Every brand on Red Post Picks advertises a UK Gambling Commission licence. That's a hard requirement, not a tiebreaker. We'll also check the licence number ourselves on the UKGC public register. If the number on the operator's footer doesn't match the public record, the operator doesn't go on the comparison list.
We read the bonus terms before the headline number
The eye-catching figure is rarely the interesting one. The interesting part is the wagering requirement, the maximum allowed bet while a bonus is active, the game weighting, and the expiry window. A £200 bonus with 65× wagering is, in practice, a different animal to a £30 bonus with 10× wagering. We flag the structure, not just the number.
We test the cashier like a real customer
We open a real account, deposit a real but small amount, and try a real withdrawal. We note how the operator handles identity verification, whether the withdrawal review window is communicated, and how easy it is to cancel a pending withdrawal. We don't publish account-specific details, but the patterns feed into the cashier score.
We notice how visible the limit tools are
A deposit limit you can set in two taps is a different proposition to one buried three screens deep. Reality checks that interrupt long sessions matter more than they sometimes get credit for. We grade operators on how the tools feel, not just on whether they technically exist.
What we ignore
- Marketing language. “Award-winning” without a named, dated award doesn't move our score.
- Hype around new launches. A loud launch and a calm Tuesday are different products. We'll come back to brands a quarter later.
- Bonus headline numbers in isolation. See above.
- VIP perks for high stakes players. We're writing for normal UK adults, not for whales.
How often we re-review
We refresh comparison cards every few months, and we patch faster when a reader flags something concrete. The “last reviewed” date on the home page is the latest pass over the full list. Individual brand scores can move between full passes.
For the full set of criteria and how they're weighted, see the editorial review policy. For information on the commercial side, see our affiliate disclosure.