◆ Methodology

Methodology

This page explains how Shorelinesau decides whether an online casino earns a place among the 9 brands we compare for Australian players. A methodology page exists so readers can judge our conclusions instead of taking them on trust. Before any recommendation, we check who operates the site and under which licence, read the full bonus terms, test deposits and withdrawals with our own money, contact support and review the safer gambling tools. We also note the legal position in Australia, where offshore casinos operate outside local licensing.

The six areas we score

Our step-by-step review process

1. Confirm operator and licence. We start by identifying the company behind the brand and checking its licence on the regulator's public register. If the operator cannot be identified or the licence details do not match, the review stops at this point.
2. We review each site's terms, licences, payment methods and public reviews before it is listed or re-scored. A team member registers as an ordinary player would, noting which personal details are requested, whether marketing consent is pre-ticked, and how clearly the terms and privacy policy are shown before sign-up is completed.
3. Read the terms in full. We read the general terms, bonus terms and payment policy from start to finish. Clauses on dormant accounts, bonus abuse, maximum winnings and account closure are highlighted and compared with the other brands we cover.
4. Make a real deposit. We fund the account with our own money using a method commonly used by Australian players, recording fees, minimum amounts, currency conversion and whether the deposit appears instantly or only after a delay.
5. Play across the lobby. We play a sample of pokies, table games and live dealer titles, checking stability, published RTP information and whether game rules are accessible. We also note any games that are restricted while a bonus is active.
6. Test the bonus honestly. Where a welcome offer is claimed, we track wagering progress, confirm that game weighting matches the written terms, and check whether bonus and real money balances are displayed separately and clearly in the account.
7. Complete identity verification. We go through the KYC process, recording which documents are requested and how long approval takes. We note whether verification is only requested at withdrawal, which can delay payouts for players who were never warned.
8. Request a withdrawal. We withdraw funds and time the process from request to arrival, noting pending periods, reverse-withdrawal options, fees and any extra checks. Slow or obstructed payouts weigh heavily in the final assessment of a brand.
9. Contact customer support. We put concrete questions to live chat and email at different times of day, including Australian evenings, and judge whether the answers are accurate, consistent with the terms and free of pressure to keep playing.
10. Editorial review and scoring. Rebecca Lawson drafts the findings, and one of our editors checks each factual claim against screenshots and notes. Only then is a score assigned and the brand positioned among the 9 sites we compare.

What we pay special attention to

• We look closely at how long withdrawals actually take compared with what the casino advertises.
• We pay attention to whether the operator and licence details are easy to find and match the public register.
• We check whether bonus terms are written in plain language and kept in one place rather than scattered across pages.
• We note how readily the site offers deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion without making players hunt for them.
• We watch for consistency between what support agents tell us and what the written terms actually say.

A casino scores lower if we find

• A score drops when withdrawals are delayed without explanation or require repeated document requests.
• Terms that allow winnings to be voided for vague reasons, or a maximum bet rule hidden in small print, lower the rating.
• Missing or unverifiable licence information lowers a score sharply and can remove a brand from our list entirely.
• Support that pressures players to deposit more or discourages them from using limits counts heavily against a site.
• Poor mobile performance, broken cashier pages on phones or fees on AUD transactions reduce the local fit score.

How reviews get updated

Each review is revisited on a regular schedule and whenever something material changes, such as new bonus terms, a licence update, a change to payment methods or a pattern of reader complaints about withdrawals. Casino terms change often, so a review that was accurate earlier in the year can mislead today. When we recheck a site, we repeat the relevant deposit and withdrawal tests, update the date shown on the page and note meaningful changes within the review itself.

Corrections & updates → · Rebecca Lawson →