The marking scheme
How we grade
Every casino on Top Casino Grades gets marked 0–100 in five categories. The overall grade is the weighted average below — computed, never hand-picked. Change the weights and every grade on the site recalculates. No casino can pay for a better grade; affiliate status never enters the formula.
The weights
- Safety & Licensing30%
- Payout Speed20%
- Bonus Value20%
- Games & Providers15%
- Customer Support15%
The scale
We grade hard, and the curve reflects it. 80+ earns an A range — in practice that requires verified licensing and verified fast payouts, so A grades are rare. 65–79 (B) is solid with caveats. 50–64 (C) means real trade-offs; read the report card. 40–49 (D) means we wouldn't deposit. Below 40 is an F: avoid. Because unverifiable claims cap scores low, an opaque casino cannot grade well no matter how generous its offers look.
Safety & Licensing
Earns marks: A verifiable license from a recognized regulator, transparent ownership, clear terms, a track record without unresolved player disputes.
Loses marks: Unverifiable or absent licensing claims, anonymous ownership, predatory clauses buried in terms, unresolved complaint patterns.
Payout Speed
Earns marks: Documented fast processing, reasonable withdrawal limits, multiple methods, no withdrawal fees.
Loses marks: Slow or inconsistent processing, low monthly caps, fees on withdrawals, verification used as a stalling tactic.
Bonus Value
Earns marks: Clear terms, achievable wagering (under ~40x), fair game weighting, honest advertising of caps.
Loses marks: Headline offers gutted by 60x+ wagering, hidden max-cashout clauses, misleading promotion pages.
Games & Providers
Earns marks: A deep library from named, reputable providers, published RTPs, working demo modes.
Loses marks: Thin or unverifiable library, no provider transparency, cloned or counterfeit games.
Customer Support
Earns marks: 24/7 live chat with humans, responsive email, help content that answers real questions.
Loses marks: Bot-only chat, unanswered emails, no escalation path.
Provisional vs verified grades
New report cards start as provisional: graded from desk research of public sources — the operator's own site, license registers, player complaint boards. A grade becomes verified only after we've tested the casino first-hand (deposit, play, withdrawal). Every report card shows which it is, and the date it was last checked. If we can't verify a claim, we say so rather than inventing a number.
Corrections
Spotted something wrong? Email editors@topcasinogrades.com — corrections ship within days, and the report card's "graded" date updates.