Our editorial team
Slot Machines is written and checked by an editorial team that researches slot machines from developers' published game sheets, Gambling Commission guidance and casinos' published terms.
By the Slot Machines team. Last checked .
Who writes Slot Machines UK
Every page on this site is written and maintained by the Slot Machines team, and that is the byline you will see throughout. We publish as a team rather than under individual names because each page passes through several hands before it goes live: one person researches, another writes, others check offers, licences and rules, and a compliance review comes last. A single name would not reflect how the work is done.
The site’s purpose is set out on our about page: to explain how slot machines really work, plainly, for UK adults. That means online games as well as the cabinets found in venues of every kind, from the maths of return to player to the rules that cap stakes and prizes. This page explains the roles within the team, the sources it uses, what it will not do and how to reach it.
Working as a team also keeps the voice consistent. Whether you are reading about a Category C pub machine or an online slot’s volatility, the same standards apply: answer the question first, show the numbers, date the rules and never overstate what a reader can expect to win.
The roles the editorial team covers
The work divides into six roles. On a small team one person may cover more than one, but the checks are kept separate so that nobody signs off their own work at every stage.
| Role | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Research | Gathering figures and dates from primary sources, recording where each came from, and flagging gaps or conflicts |
| Writing | Turning research into plain-English explanations with worked pound examples, and leaving out anything that cannot be confirmed |
| Offer and licence checks | Confirming each casino’s current terms on its own site and its licence on the Gambling Commission register |
| Rule tracking | Following regulator, government and legislation updates, and updating pages when a rule changes or a planned change takes effect |
| Compliance review | Checking every page against UK gambling advertising rules, including age, wording, offer terms and safer gambling messages |
| Corrections | Logging reported errors, checking them against the source, fixing the page and recording the change date |
Rule tracking matters more on this site than on most, because UK slot rules have changed often since 2021. Our rules hub and the round-up of 2025 and 2026 slot rule changes are kept current by that role.
The sources the team relies on
The team works from published, checkable sources and prefers the organisation closest to the fact. For a slot’s figures that is the developer; for a rule it is the regulator or the legislation; for a casino’s terms it is the casino itself.
| Subject | Main source | Second source or cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Slot figures (RTP, volatility, max win, layout) | Developers’ published game sheets and in-game help screens | Established slot databases |
| Online rules | Gambling Commission guidance, technical standards and licence conditions | Commission news pages and GOV.UK announcements |
| Land-based machine limits | Gambling Commission guidance and legislation.gov.uk | Licensing authority guidance |
| Licences | The Commission’s public register (opens in a new tab) | Operator site footers and terms |
| Tax and duty | HMRC and GOV.UK, such as the Machine Games Duty rates page (opens in a new tab) | The Finance Act text on legislation.gov.uk |
| History | Museum collections and company records | Reference works, with disputes shown |
| Casino offers and terms | Each casino’s published terms and help centre | Rechecked on a set date |
Where machine limits are concerned, the team goes back to the law itself, such as section 172 of the Gambling Act 2005 (opens in a new tab) on how many machines each venue may have. For history, archives such as the Museum of the Game’s Bell-Fruit collection (opens in a new tab) help date individual machines. When sources disagree, as they do over the year of Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell, our history pages give both accounts rather than choosing one silently.
How a page goes from research to publication
- Research: collect the facts the page needs, each with its source and the date it was checked.
- Draft: write the page in plain English, leaving out any figure that could not be confirmed. Some drafting is AI-assisted, and every draft is reviewed by an editor, as our editorial policy explains.
- Check: compare every figure, date and link against the research notes and the original source.
- Compliance review: confirm the page meets UK gambling advertising rules and includes the right safer gambling information.
- Publish and date: the page goes live with its review date, and offer details carry their own check date.
- Revisit: rule changes, reader reports and scheduled reviews send pages back to step one.
Our editorial policy sets out the standards behind each step in detail, and how we rate covers casino assessments.
What the team does not do
- No payment for scores or placement in reviews. A casino cannot pay to change what we say about it or how it is assessed.
- No hidden commercial links. Some casinos pay us a commission if a reader opens an account after following one of our links. We say so openly, and our advertiser disclosure sets out the arrangement in full.
- No invented testing or experience. Pages explain what developers, regulators and terms say; they do not claim the team played, timed or tested anything.
- No systems for beating machines. Slots are built to return less than they take, and we say so plainly.
- No guesses presented as facts. If a figure cannot be confirmed, it is left out and readers are told where to check it.
Pages about problem gambling, limits and self-exclusion carry no promotion at all, and our safer gambling page lists free support, including the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
Corrections and keeping pages current
Mistakes happen, and rules change faster than anyone can publish. When a reader reports an error, the corrections role checks it against the original source. If the page is wrong, it is fixed and the review date updated; if the fix alters something people might have acted on, for example an offer condition, the page records the change. Pages that depend on fast-moving information, especially offers and rules, are reviewed on a schedule as well as when news breaks.
Keeping pages current also means removing things. When a slot is withdrawn from the UK market, a casino ends an offer or a planned rule is dropped, the team updates or retires the page rather than leaving old information in place. Reader reports are one of the fastest ways we learn about these changes, so they are read and acted on as part of the normal editorial routine, not set aside for later.
How to contact the Slot Machines team
You can reach the team through the contact page. Messages about errors, outdated rules or broken links are especially welcome; please include the page address and, if you can, the source that shows the correct information. The team cannot advise on personal money or legal matters or step into a dispute with a casino, but it can direct you to the right place, such as the operator’s complaints process or its named dispute resolution service. If your message is about your own gambling, please also contact the National Gambling Helpline, free and open at any hour.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the pages on Slot Machines UK?
The Slot Machines team writes and maintains every page, and that is the byline used across the site. The team covers research, writing, offer and licence checks, rule tracking, compliance review and corrections. Pages are published under the team name because each one is researched, written, checked and reviewed by different people before it goes live. Our about page explains what the site covers and why it was set up.
Does the team play or test the slots it writes about?
No, and the pages never claim otherwise. Each page is researched from published sources: developers’ game sheets and in-game help screens, the Gambling Commission’s guidance and technical standards, legislation and casinos’ own terms. That keeps every figure traceable to its source. Where a page explains how a feature plays out, it uses the developer’s description and worked arithmetic rather than personal anecdote, so readers can check the same information for themselves.
Can a casino pay for a better review or score?
No. Casinos cannot pay to change what we write about them or how they are assessed. Commission is paid to the site when a reader signs up with certain casinos via our links, and that is disclosed openly. Affiliate commission does not decide which facts appear on a page, and pages about safer gambling carry no promotion. Our advertiser disclosure explains exactly how the site is funded.
Where does the team get slot RTP and max win figures?
From the developer first: its published game sheet or the game’s own help screen. The team then cross-checks against an established slot database where one is available. Because developers often supply several RTP versions of the same game, and each casino chooses which one to run, readers should always check the help screen at their own casino before playing. If a figure cannot be confirmed, the page leaves it out and says where to look instead.
How does the team keep up with UK rule changes?
Through the rule tracking role, which follows the Gambling Commission’s news, consultation responses and technical standards, government announcements on GOV.UK, and new legislation. When a change takes effect, every affected page is updated with the date. Proposals still awaiting legislation are labelled as proposals, never as current law. Debit card play on gaming machines, announced in May 2024, is one example still in that category. The rules hub gathers each rule on its own dated page.
How do I report a mistake on the site?
Use the contact page and include the address of the page, what you think is wrong and, if possible, a link to the source with the correct information. The corrections role checks every report against the original source. If the page is wrong, it is fixed and its review date updated, and important changes are flagged on the page itself. Reports about outdated rules or broken links are especially helpful.
Does Slot Machines UK give gambling advice?
The site explains how slot machines, rules and offers work, but it does not give personal financial, legal or betting advice and never suggests gambling as a way to make money. Slots are presented throughout as entertainment you pay for, with the odds set in the house’s favour. If gambling is causing you problems, free, round-the-clock help is on 0808 8020 133, the National Gambling Helpline, and our safer gambling page lists GAMSTOP, GamCare, NHS clinics and other support.