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How We Review and Rate Online Sportsbooks
The internal reviewing process of betting sites not blocked by GamStop at NonGamstopCasinos.org is complex & analytically powered. The GamStop service is notorious among UK punters and many of them are flocking to bookmakers outside of its framework. With each online sportsbook review, our main goal is to provide UK punters with objective information and research-driven facts. If you’re looking for info on non-GamStop sportsbooks, you’re at the right place.
Our Review Process
The GamStop self-exclusion service was launched back in 2018. Almost immediately, we started reviewing outside of its scope. We started our own project in 2019 and our internal review processes haven’t changed much since. They’re based on the following:
Methodology and Approach
We believe a methodological approach was the only way we could truly achieve our primary goal: to provide UK punters with up-to-date data on non-GamStop online sportsbooks.
For each review, we collect, analyse, and rate more than 50 data points. This includes simple ones like mobile support and customer service to complex variables like bet variety, market diversity, and supported banking methods.
We don’t use a lot of proprietary software. Our team is mainly empowered by digital office software, Bluestacks for mobile support analyses, and web scraping toolkits for extracting certain data points.
Core Principles and Objectives
Our primary goal is to provide UK punters interested in non-GamStop bookmakers with unbiased, objective reviews on said sites. And that’s why:
- We had a feeling many UK punters would switch to non-GamStop bookmakers because of too strict UKGC policies. We were correct.
- We also had a feeling many of those bookmakers won’t offer a satisfactory online betting experience. Yes, correct again!
That’s why our benchmarks prioritise transparency, fairness, and user experience. These are the three key areas we always highlight and ensure unbiased and up-to-date information.
Our Criteria for Evaluation
Our evaluation consists of numerous factors that paint the complete picture of each site we review. In contrast to other review sites out there, we don’t focus solely on the good characteristics. We take the bad ones into account too, which means our users always get the most objective information.
Key Review Factors
All of our online sportsbook reviews feature the same data points AKA factors. They range from security and licensing to user experience, verification processes, and mobile betting. These are the most important specimens; there are many more where these came from. The full list of criteria we use for our non-GamStop betting site reviews are as follows:
Security and Fairness
First and foremost – we always make sure the sites we review (and recommend) are secure and fair. This part of our research revolves around analysing the site’s security details, SSL encryption, and checking whether or not it’s regularly audited by the likes of eCogra. If a website ticks all these boxes, chances are we’ll recommend it in one of our non-GamStop sports betting guides.
Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
Security and fairness alway go hand in hand. However, the second side of that medal revolves around licensing and regulatory compliance. Needless to say, non-GamStop betting sites aren’t licensed by the UKGC. Instead, they’re typically licensed in Curacao which has much more lenient gambling laws. So, if you see some of our recommendations are based in Curacao, that’s totally normal.
Bonuses and Promotions
These days, players consider bonuses and promotions equally important as bet coverage and mobile support. While we don’t share that exact opinion, our research suggests promotions have a knack for attracting tons of new players. That’s why we dive deep into welcome bonus offers, to make sure players don’t get tricked into deals with massive 200x wagering requirements.
Sports Betting Options
Needless to say, we are all about sports betting sites here, so it comes as no surprise that our reviews have a strong emphasis on sports betting options. Not only do we thoroughly check all available sports betting markets, but we also explore event coverage, bet variety, and odds fairness.
Sign-Up and Verification Process
When writing beginner guides, we typically prioritise sportsbooks that have a simple sign-up process. Plus, we value bookmakers that don’t require users to pass the KYC process during sign-up. Luckily, that has become a standard on the non-GamStop market – most of these bookies require KYC verification before the first withdrawal.
User Experience and Accessibility
When reviewing user experience, we also analyse page-to-page navigation and UI. Accessibility options bear importance too. Text resizing, text-to-voice support, and similar accessibility options are always a big plus in our books. But, unfortunately, they’re not such a common sight on online betting sites.
Customer Support and Service
It comes as no surprise to see customer support among the key criteria we use for our non-GamStop bookmaker reviews. When checking customer support and overall service quality, we always analyse all featured channels. This includes FAQ sections, email support, phone lines, and live chat. Quantity is important, but quality is what we prioritise.
Mobile Betting Experience
Another important factor is mobile support. We know from our own experience that more online gamblers opt to bet on their favourite sports straight from their smartphone. This is why we never take smartphone support for granted. In this day in age, not having an optimised mobile platform or a dedicated smartphone app is an outright crime.
Payment Methods and Payout Speed
Available payment methods are always a big point of interest for us. We go by the good old golden rule – the more, the merrier. Additionally, we always check the payout speeds too. In most cases, online sportsbooks take up to 3 business days to pay out your winnings. But, that’s only assuming you’ve already passed the KYC (Know Your Customer) and successfully confirmed your identity.
Role of User Feedback
We don’t take user feedback for granted. However, we don’t base our reviews on it either. We use feedback from our users together with the results of our research. The end product is a combination of the two, which ensures optimal, research-driven facts. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re at the right place!
Measures for Safe and Responsible Gambling
Finally, we reached responsible gambling measures. We are referring to one of the most overlooked areas on online betting platforms. When reviewing online sportsbooks that aren’t a part of GamStop, we always examine their content dedicated to responsible gambling, as well as all available self-exclusion tools. The thing is – some sites require players to contact customer support to get access to self-exclusion tools.
Additional Aspects We Take Into Account
That’s not all, folks! We have even more aspects to discuss. You see, the criteria we already mentioned is of crucial importance in our team. However, we also explore the following, though without such a detailed approach:
Live Betting and Streaming
Right at the start of our reviewing process, we thoroughly analyse the bet variety. A good part of our analyses comes down to exploring live bets and streaming integration. Most online sportsbooks feature healthy live betting options, but only a handful have integrated livestreams.
Odds and Betting Margins
Some sites fail to bring fair odds to the table. In other words, they take way too big of a cut on each bet. This leaves players with narrow margins for error, and that’s why we don’t recommend such sites. If we recommend a certain sportsbook, you can rest assured it has competitive betting odds.
Withdrawal Processing Times
The withdrawal processing times at nonGamStop bookmakers don’t differ too much from their UKGC-licensed competitors. Typically, you can expect your withdrawal requests to be processed within 3 business days. For crypto payments, that process tends to be even quicker!
Innovations and Technological Advancements
To be competitive, an online casino has to keep its innovation game on par with the competition. The same goes for technological advancements too. While non-GamStop brands typically feature fully optimised smartphone support, they don’t offer any innovative approaches in terms of AI or VR technology.
Corporate Reputation
Reputation and trustworthiness bear massive importance on the international gambling scene. However, we’re not talking about the biggest international brands. Instead, we’re talking about non-GamStop brands here, which are usually run independently. In other words, most of them aren’t owned by big iGaming brands.
Language and Currency Options
When it comes to big international casino brands, language, and currency options bear utmost importance. English is pretty much the default option at all online casinos. But, we’re always on the lookout for additional languages to promote local support in countries like Germany, France, and Spain.
Our Latest Reviews
We’re conducting research non-stop, 24/7/365, every day, and putting new non-GamStop bookmakers through all sorts of tests. We publish several reviews monthly, ensuring our readers always have a fresh batch of quality brands to explore. If you’re trying to find a good betting site outside of the GamStop framework, you’re at the right place. You can find our latest reviews right below:
Conclusion
The fact that we do research on our own and emphasise both positives and negatives are the key reasons why we’re the best review site for non-GamStop bookmakers!
Long story short, this website should be your go-to resource for all things related to non-GamStop online betting sites. We have a plethora of reviews available. Feel free to check them all out if you have the time. If you’re just trying to find a few high-quality bookies that aren’t a part of GamStop, we advise you to check out our recommendations.
FAQ About Our Reviewing Process
Do you consider user feedback in your reviews?
Yes, we do. But, we don’t consider user feedback we find on online reviewing sites like TrustPilot. That’s typically plagued with fake reviews. We do, however, keep tabs on what our users are telling us. If several users point to a specific issue, we’re typically on it in a matter of weeks.
Can I contact you for more information about a specific sportsbook?
Yes, you can contact Charlie or me directly, should you have any questions regarding our reviewing process. Perhaps you’d simply like to say hi and ask about the weather. For all inquiries, please refer to the Contact Us page.
How frequently are the reviews updated to reflect changes in the sportsbook industry?
Both Charlie and I live for thoroughness. We’re perfectionists, enough said. However, perfectionism takes time, so we aren’t able to keep our reviews updated on a day-to-day basis. Instead, we update our reviews with the latest changes once a month. After all, we’re only human.
Can you clarify the role of responsible gambling in your reviews and recommendations?
We never take responsible gambling for granted. That’s why it’s among the most essential parts of our reviews. The role of responsible gambling is to ensure all online gamblers are well aware of problematic gambling behaviour, provide all the tools they need to reflect on their activity and promote proactive behaviour.
Do you provide a summary of pros and cons for each sportsbook you review?
Yes, we do. We know most of our readers simply scan our reviews for the most useful bits and pieces. We can’t expect everyone to read a full bookmaker review, can we? We noticed players are scanning our content, so what better way to present them with the most useful bits than via dedicated pros and cons sections?
