Editorial policy

Research standards behind every page

This policy explains how the Slot Machines team researches, checks, dates and corrects what it publishes. The principle behind all of it is simple: accuracy comes before completeness. If a figure, date or claim cannot be traced to a reliable published source, it is left out, and the page tells readers where they can check it instead.

• Primary sources first. A slot’s figures come from its developer, a rule from the regulator or the legislation, an offer from the casino’s own terms.
• Every fact has a source and a date. Research notes record where each figure came from and when it was checked.
• Disputes are shown, not hidden. Where reliable sources disagree, such as on the year a historic machine first appeared, the page gives both accounts.
• No invented experience. Pages explain what published information says; they never claim the team played, timed or tested a game.
• Plain English and worked numbers. Claims about cost or return are shown with the arithmetic, so readers can follow and check them.

Secondary sources, such as trade press and reference works, are used for context and to find leads, not as the final word on a figure. Where a detail is only available from a secondary source, for example reported details of a regulator’s decision that is not yet fully published, the page says it is reported rather than presenting it as confirmed.

The people and roles behind this work are described on our editorial team page.

How slot figures are checked

For each slot’s RTP, volatility, maximum win and layout, the team aims to check the figure against the developer’s own information, such as its published game sheet or the in-game help screen, and against a second source, usually an established slot database. Where the two disagree, the developer’s figure is preferred, and if neither can be confirmed the figure is left off the page. This is a working standard, not a guarantee: developers revise games, and information can change after a page is reviewed.

There is a second reason to check for yourself. Many developers supply the same game in several RTP versions, and each casino chooses which one to run, so one casino can offer a lower return on a game than another. The Gambling Commission’s standard on game rules and the likelihood of winning (opens in a new tab) requires that information to be available to players, so the help screen at your casino is the figure that applies to you. Always check it before you play. Our explainer on RTP variants shows how the versions differ and where to find the figure.

How offers, licences and rules are checked and dated

Information that changes quickly carries its own date. The casino offers shown here were last verified on 5 October 2026, and the pages themselves were last reviewed on 21 October 2026. A rule is always given with the date it took effect, and a change that has been announced but not brought into force is described as planned.

Offers are described using only the terms the casino publishes, with the key conditions, such as deposit, stake, spin value, wagering and expiry, placed next to the headline. If an offer has changed since its check date, the casino’s own terms apply.

Licence details are rechecked alongside offers, because operators sometimes move brands between licence holders, and a casino whose licence is not shown as active on the register is not promoted.

How land-based machine limits are checked

Stake limits, prize limits, machine numbers and age rules for gaming machines in Great Britain are checked against the Gambling Commission’s guidance and the legislation behind it, including the Gambling Act 2005 and the Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 (opens in a new tab). Where a local authority page or older article gives a different figure, the official source is used and the conflict noted in our research. Several land-based changes announced in May 2024, such as card payments direct to machines or a higher share of Category B machines in arcades, stay labelled as planned until legislation brings them into force. Each limit is gathered on a dated page in our rules hub.

Casino scores, independence and affiliate disclosure

The site earns affiliate commission when readers open accounts with some casinos through its links. That commission pays for the research, but it does not buy coverage: casinos cannot pay for a better score, a more favourable description or the removal of a fact. How casinos are assessed, and what the assessment does and does not measure, is explained on how we rate. The commercial relationships themselves are set out in our advertiser disclosure.

Independence also shapes what we write. Pages never describe gambling as a way to make money, never offer systems for beating machines, and never call anything free without its condition alongside. Educational pages explain first; any offers appear at the end and are clearly marked.

Responsible gambling commitments

Every page treats slots as paid entertainment with a built-in house edge, and mentions that losses are the likely result over time where it fits. Offers are only discussed alongside 18+ and the key terms. Pages about problem gambling, limits, blocking and self-exclusion carry no offers or promotion of any kind. We point readers to free, current support: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), GAMSTOP for online self-exclusion, venue self-exclusion schemes and NHS gambling clinics. Content is written for adults and never aimed at under-18s, including pages about arcades. Our safer gambling page brings all of this together.

Use of AI in drafting

Some pages are drafted with the help of AI tools. Every AI-assisted draft is reviewed by an editor before publication. The editor checks facts, figures, dates and links against the research notes and original sources, removes anything that cannot be confirmed, and applies the same compliance review as any other page. AI tools are not used to invent sources, experiences or statistics, and responsibility for what is published rests with the Slot Machines team.

Corrections policy and how often pages are updated

If you find an error, tell us through the contact page, ideally with the page address and a link to the correct source. Each report is checked against the original source. Confirmed errors are corrected promptly and the page’s review date is updated; where a correction changes something readers may have relied on, such as a stake limit or an offer term, the page notes what changed.

Pages are updated on three triggers: when a rule changes or a planned change takes effect, when a casino changes an offer or its terms, and through scheduled reviews of the whole site. Offer details are rechecked most often, because they change most. Every page shows when it was last reviewed, so you can judge how current it is.