Last updated: 2 Sep 2025
Why this page exists
We conduct reviews on online casinos and online slots available to people in Australia, not news releases or anything similar. The following criteria explain how we maintain our independence, how we fact-check, how we disclose ads and affiliate links, and how we correct ourselves when we fuck up.
1) Our mission & audience
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Inform Aussies about their options and promote smarter responsible gambling.
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Cut through all the marketing rubbish so players can make their decision based on facts, clear math, and plain English.
2) Independence & conflicts of interest
- We don’t sell placements or ratings. Business teams don’t set ratings or write copy.
- We may earn from affiliate commissions. If we do, we disclose it. This in no way changes the testing or scores. We do not accept gifts, junkets, or “special accounts” that circumvent standard KYC/limits.
- All staff must disclose previous employment or consulting with brands covered.
- If there’s a conflict, that person does not work, on that review.
3) How we test (the short version)
- Actual accounts, actual deposits, same checks across brands.
- We time withdrawals end-to-end, calculate bonus small print into comparable metrics, and host live spin sessions to get RTP/volatility snapshots.
- Full protocol at: /how-we-test
4) Evidence standard
- If it's not tied to a screenshot, timestamp, term excerpt or log entry, it doesn't make the page.
- We also maintain internal notes for every review, and publish a "Last updated" date on every article.
5) Scoring policy
- Category weights and definitions are published on /how-we-test.
- If terms change (bonus, KYC, payment rails, T&C clauses), scores can move — we’ll say when and why in the update note.
6) Language & tone
- We write in Australian English; short sentences where clarity wins.
- We use plain names for things (e.g., “max cashout”, “wagering”) with quick glossaries if needed.
- We avoid hype; we do use warnings where player risk increases.
7) Transparency about authors
- Our authors write with real names, or they are marked as a pen name.
- Pen names are always displayed on author pages. Reviews always show the author and (if applicable) reviewed by.
- Author pages detail the author’s beats, methodology focus, profile links (only those we control), or the last 3 work they’ve done for us.
- Our authors in the pipeline are Martha Simons and Dean Jonson.
8) Advertising, sponsorships & affiliate links
- No paid reviews. No pay-for-placement.
- For sponsored items (rare), the label will appear at the top of the article in [Sponsored] and they do not impact scores.
- For affiliate links, we will disclose our affiliate commission before or by the link.
- Example: “We may earn a commission if you sign up via our link.
- This doesn’t change our testing or scores.” We will never hide or obscure disclosures in tooltips or accordions.
9) Fact-checking & verification
- As a protocol, bonus maths are verified by a second editor if a score or ranking is changed or affected owing to an error.
- Payout timing is confirmed with the logs which record payout requests, KYC timestamps, and when the funds have landed for the stated payout.
10) Corrections & updates
- Minor corrections (spelling mistakes, minor clarifications, etc.) are updated quietly and make note of any timestamp updates.
- Material changes (incorrect limits, term read wrong, outdated score) should be noted at the beginning of the notes or in the "Updates" section, and noted with the date and the change. How to report an error: /contact (subject: "Correction").
- We will try to review anything sent to us within 3 business days.
11) User contributions & feedback
- We welcome first-hand payout timings, KYC experiences, and term screenshots.
- We verify before inclusion. Anonymous tips are ok; we won’t publish PII.
- Abusive or unverifiable claims won’t be published.
12) Responsible gambling
- We cover entertainment, not income. 18+ only. If it stops being fun, stop.
- Helpful resources and tools are listed on https://rickycasino.au/responsible-gambling-policy-for-australian-players.
- We highlight RG tools (limits, time-outs, self-exclusion) in each review.
13) Privacy & data
- We store only what we need for testing (timestamps, captures, notes).
- We redact personal information in screenshots.
- See site privacy details on /privacy-policy.
14) Access & testing conditions
- If a brand offers us a test account, we either (a) decline and use a normal account, or (b) disclose the access and still run all standard checks with real KYC/withdrawal steps.
- If a feature is geo-restricted or temporarily unavailable, we’ll state the testing location or the limitation.
15) What we won’t do
- We don’t publish “guaranteed strategies”, RTP predictions, or anything that suggests assured wins.
- We won’t soft-pedal red-flag terms (e.g., 0–10% contribution, “max bet while wagering” traps).
- We won’t remove a factual, evidence-based criticism because of commercial pressure.
16) Versioning & changelog (for this page)
- 2 Sep 2025 — Initial public release of the unified Editorial Guidelines.
Contact
- Corrections, disclosures, press: /contact
- Testing protocol: /how-we-test
- Responsible gambling: https://rickycasino.au/responsible-gambling-policy-for-australian-players
We’re happy to take feedback. If you think we’ve missed something or a term has changed, tell us — we’ll check and update.