Our Review Process

Every entry in the notebook passes through the same stages before it is published, whether it explains a betting term, a slot feature or a safer-play habit. This page sets them out so readers know what has, and has not, been checked.

What we review, and what we do not

We review our own writing: the accuracy of explanations, the arithmetic in worked examples and the tone of every sentence. We do not test, rate or rank casinos, sportsbooks or games, and nothing on this site should be read as a verdict on a particular operator. Questions about a specific platform are best answered by its licence details and its own terms.

Stage one: starting from the source

A draft begins with the material a player would actually see. For slot features that means the paytable and help screen of games that use the feature, read in full, including the small print about how long a feature lasts or when it resets. For betting terms it means the market rules and settlement sections that sportsbooks publish. Where versions differ, the entry says so rather than picking one and presenting it as universal.

Stage two: redoing the sums

Any figure in an entry is recalculated by a second writer. Implied probabilities are converted again from the prices shown, totals are added again, and parlay multiplications are repeated. Examples use invented teams, scores and stakes, and are labelled that way. We do not quote statistics we cannot trace, and if a number cannot be checked it is removed.

Stage three: the cautious read

The editor then reads the draft for tone. Phrases that make a game sound like a way to earn money, a feature sound like a gift, or a bet sound safer than it is are rewritten. Each entry must explain the margin behind what it describes and include a reminder that gambling is for adults and that the rules where you live come first.

Questions every draft has to answer

• Would a newcomer understand this without searching elsewhere?
• Is the cost of the bet or feature stated clearly?
• Could any sentence be read as a promise of winning?
• Are the internal links pointing to entries that really expand on the point?

Stage four: publishing and dating

Once all three writers are satisfied, the entry is published with its date. When an entry is later revised in substance, the revision date changes too, so readers can see how fresh the information is.

Stage five: keeping entries current

Games and betting products change. New feature types appear, operators adjust their settlement rules and regulators restrict some options. We revisit older entries when we notice such changes or when a reader points them out. Reports are handled as described in When We Get a Fact Wrong.

An example of the process at work

Our entry on how hold and win slots work began with the help screens of several games that use the mechanic. Because the trigger count, grid size and prize labels varied, the final text describes the common pattern and points readers to the paytable for the details of any single game. That is how most entries end up: general where the products differ, precise where they agree.