Ratings guide

Why are the ratings important and how does the rating process work?

With hundreds of online bookmakers operating on the internet with no boundaries and some times no rules, it is important that punters have access to credible information to make informed decisions on where to bet online.

To meet this need, Bookmakers Review has created a rating system which provides bettors with understandable and reliable evaluations of online sportsbooks and betting exchanges.

The Bookmakers Review rating process is an ongoing process which includes the analysis of the criteria described in the review policy, supplemented by public information we obtain from sources believed to be reliable and feedback we receive from our readers.

It is important to remember that we do not use a cut-and-dry formula to get to the final rating and that some of the criteria considered are more critical or have a higher importance and influence the final rating more than others. Please note that the criteria evaluated in the rating process are subjected to change and refinement over time.

While a high rating requires consistency across all the criteria considered, a weak score on any of the key criteria (ability to handle payments on demand and quality of customer service) or on any factor critical to the company's business model (for example markets liquidity for a betting exchange) will result in a low final rating.

Among the other factors that can determine a low rating are:
lack of a valid betting license;
failure of a sister company;
affiliation with a problematic or controversial operation;
affiliation with a fake players' advocacy site;
use of questionable business practices;
unfair use of the palpable error rule;
unjust confiscation of bonuses and/or account's funds;
use of deceptive, false or misleading information during promotional activities;
distribution of unsolicited advertising or cold calling;
use of retroactive or after the fact rules changes.

Low rated bookmakers showing improvements will have to establish a record of stable performance over a suitable period of time (defined as the next 6-24 months depending from what determined the low rating in the first place). A substantial shift in the company's direction will be appreciated, but not the only consideration.

If our own experience differs from the feedback we receive from online bettors, we may consider external factors such as the opinion of a third party.

Please note that a tradeoff between the possibility of getting better odds or higher bonuses and the risk of not getting paid is not a part of our rating process.

What do our ratings mean?

Bookmakers Review ratings have three parts:

The rating value, indicating an assessment of the experience of being a customer of the rated bookmaker.

The rating modifiers, indicating elements that have been integrated into the assessment to determine the final rating.

The rating description, indicating elements that have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern.

Following is our scale of rating values and associated descriptions:

5 Exceptional. Assigned to bookmakers offering players the best possible betting experience.

4.5 Excellent. Assigned to bookmakers offering players an excellent betting experience. Together with bookmakers rated 5 are known as high-grade bookmakers and are highly recommended.

4 Good. Assigned to bookmakers offering players a good betting experience. Recommended.

3.5 Adequate. Assigned to bookmakers offering players an above average experience. Still significantly better than most other bookmakers.

3 Average. Assigned to bookmakers presenting some positive attributes and first-rate characteristics, whereas some shortcomings keep them from offering players an adequate experience. Might be worth considering if you're looking to expand your bookmakers' portfolio.

2.5 Weak. Assigned to bookmakers with more blemishes than strengths and/or vulnerable to problems and adverse business conditions. 2.5 is also the initial rating for new bookmakers when they do not have ties with established betting operations or when certain elements such as public information and players' feedback are limited. While a rating of 2.5 doesn't necessarely means that your funds are at risk more than they would be with a higher-rated bookmaker, we believe there is no particular advantage in playing with bookmakers rated 2.5.

2 Poor. Assigned to bookmakers regarded as having significant weaknesses which could negatively impact a player's betting experience. In some cases these weaknesses are magnified by the unwillingness of the bookmaker to correct past problems or to change business direction over the long term. In short, if you happen to play with bookmakers rated 2, you are probably asking yourself for trouble.

1 Very poor. Assigned to bookmakers which have failed to fulfill their obligations and/or promises in multiple occasions. You do not want to play with bookmakers rated 1.

S Scam. Assigned to bookmakers deemed to be insolvent or known to be operating without the intention of paying their customers as well as to bookmakers which have disappeared with players' funds. STAY AWAY

susp. Suspended. Indicating bookmakers which have suspended or closed their operations, but for which we are not aware of any outstanding complaint. A rating can also be temporarily suspended in presence of extraordinary events such as an acquisition, merger or takeover.

skin Indicating a website operating as a skin of an established bookmaker, which has the responsibility to conduct the relationship with the customers and to manage their funds.

NR Not Rated. Assigned to bookmakers when we do not have enough information to derive an accurate rating. It can be due to the fact that the bookmaker has been operating only for a limited amount of time (two years or less) or when we have not found enough public information or received enough players' feedback necessary for us to complete the rating process.

PI Public Information. Occasionally, when we consider important to issue a rating for a bookmaker, but we do not have any first hand experience or we have not received any feedback from our readers, we will note that the rating has been derived from the analysis of public information only.

A plus (+) or minus (-) sign may accompany the rating indicating that a bookmaker is either at the higher or lower end of its rating value. Such suffixes may be associated with the rating values from 4.5 through 2.5.

Rating actions

RW Rating Watch. Indicating that a bookmaker's rating may be subject to a review in the short-term (generally defined as the next 1 to 3 months) when we are in presence of operating developments, such as the relocation to a different jurisdiction, or when we believe there are circumstances, such as an increasing number of complaints, that could cause a rating to change. A bookmaker's rating can also be placed on Rating Watch any time we consider additional information is needed to evaluate the bookmaker. However, RW does not mean a rating will inevitably change and a rating's change may occur without the rating having first been put on Rating Watch.

UR Under Review. Indicating a Not Rated bookmaker for which we expect to complete our initial assessment in the next 1-3 months. Ratings which are "Under Review" will be associated with one of the following provisional statements: Attractive (A), Neutral (N) and Cautious (C). These provisional statements are an attempt to provide some guidance to our readers about new betting operators. Please bear in mind that implications during the rating process may vary widely and that the final rating may depart from its preliminary assessment.

Rating modifiers

P Pubblic company. Indicating a bookmaker which is either listed on the stock-market or that has somehow made its financial statements available to the public. Please note that Bookmakers Review does not perform an audit on published financial information, but simply relies on it to rate the company's financial solidity and stability. A company's performance on the stock market does not influence the rating.

L Land based. Indicating a bookmaker affiliated to a land based operation.

G Group. Indicating the bookmaker's financial backer, the parent company or the provider of a turn-key solution managing all aspects of running a bookmaker site, including payment processing.

M Monopolies. Indicating state-run betting monopolies and state-licensed betting companies operating in countries where the sports betting market is subject to restrictions and discrimination when it comes to competition and establishment of private betting operators.

RA Ringfenced accounts. Indicating a bookmaker that keeps customers funds segregated from those used by the company to run the business.

Disclaimer

While a bookmaker's financial solidity and stability is one of the criteria considered during the rating process, Bookmakers Review does not attempt to vouch for the financial condition of any bookmaker. Accordingly, we encourage punters to use our ratings in conjunction with other information, such as players' reviews/comments available on internet betting forums.

Due to the possibility of human or mechanical error as well as other factors, ratings are provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn at any time, for any reason, at our sole discretion. Bookmakers Review takes no responsabilty for damages caused as a result of changes or unavailability of the ratings. For the most up-to-date ratings, please visit http://www.bookmakersreview.com/All_Betting_Sites_sorted_alphabetically/

For those websites offering different products under the same brand (sportsbook, exchange, casino, poker, games), we have evaluated only the sportsbook/exchange offer. You should not use the Bookmakers Review ratings as a reference if you are planning to play with an online casino or poker room.

While we seek to mantain an open line of communications with all the rated bookmakers, we do not grant them the right to influence the ratings or stop their publication. If a bookmaker feels it has significant additional information it wants to bring to our attention or believes we have oversighted some information, it is invited to provide that information at any time.

Use of the Bookmakers Review ratings

The Bookmakers Review ratings are proprietary and may not be reproduced without permission from Bookmakers Review. All queries regarding the reproduction of the ratings should be directed to review@bookmakersreview.com. All internet bookmakers are encouraged to contact us for a review or to comment on our service.