At ATS.io, we take our ratings very seriously. That’s because we know choosing the right online casino or sportsbook isn’t always easy.
Some sites look great on the surface but fall flat once you sign up. Others offer big bonuses but come with a lot of strings attached. Fortunately, our team does a great job of cutting out the noise and looking beyond the hype to focus on what really matters.
Here’s how we rate each gambling site, from safety and support to bonuses, gameplay, and everything in between.
Our Review Criteria (What We Look For)
Not all gambling sites are created equal. And at ATS.io, we don’t just hand out 5-star ratings without a comprehensive review and firsthand testing. Before recommending any online casino or sportsbook, we make sure to cross our T’s and dot our I’s.
Is the site licensed? Is your money safe? Do the promos actually deliver real value? These are just a few of the questions we ask as we put each site to the test. Here’s a breakdown of what matters most when we’re evaluating a platform:
| Factor | What We Look For |
|---|---|
| 🎫 Licensing & Legal Status | Verified licenses from trusted regulators (U.S. or reputable international bodies) |
| 🔒 Security & Trust | SSL encryption, fair play, responsible gambling tools, and a solid reputation |
| 🎁 Bonuses & Promotions | Fair terms, strong value, low wagering requirements, and plenty of ongoing offers |
| 💳 Payments & Withdrawals | Fast deposits, smooth withdrawals, no hidden fees, and plenty of payment options |
| 📱 User Experience | Clean design, fast loading, easy navigation, and solid mobile performance |
| 💬 Customer Support | 24/7 live chat or email, fast replies, and real help (not just chat bots or copy-and-paste responses) |
Licensing & Legal Status
This is where we start—and where a lot of sites stop. If a gambling platform isn’t licensed by a legit regulator (like the New Jersey DGE, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, or the Malta Gaming Authority), we’re not touching it. No license? No trust.
A proper license means real oversight, fair game outcomes, secure payments, and accountability when things go wrong. It’s not just a box to check—it’s the foundation for everything else. Without it, the rest doesn’t matter.
Security & Trust
You should never have to worry about your data being compromised or your money being stolen. We look for secure connections (SSL encryption), two-factor authentication, and a clean track record.
If players have flagged a site for slow payouts, shady behavior, or missing funds, we take it seriously. Trust also means offering tools to help players stay in control—like deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion options.
To put it simply: If anything feels sketchy, we’re out.
Bonuses & Promotions
A big welcome bonus sounds great… but we care more about what’s behind the curtain. We evaluate how generous the bonus really is, how realistic the wagering requirements are, and how transparent the terms feel.
We also look at what happens after the welcome offer: Are there reload bonuses on subsequent deposits? Weekly cashback based on how much you wager? Loyalty rewards? A site that’s only generous for the first five minutes isn’t going to earn a top score from us.
Payment Methods & Withdrawal Times
Depositing should be easy. Withdrawing should be even easier. We always check which payment methods are supported (credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, crypto, etc.), how fast transactions are processed, and whether there are any surprise fees.
Fast cashouts always earn extra points in our book. Payout delays, ID hurdles, or locked winnings? Not so much.
User Experience
If the site feels clunky, slow, or outdated, that’s a problem… no matter how good the bonuses are. We look for a clean layout, fast load times, and seamless navigation.
That goes for mobile too: whether you’re using an app or just the browser, the experience should feel smooth. Can you find the games you want? Can you place a bet without confusion? A site that’s easy to use is a site people actually enjoy.
Customer Support
Stuff happens—errors, payout questions, login issues. When it does, good support makes all the difference. We test live chat, email, and any other help options to see how quickly someone responds and whether they actually solve the problem.
Bots and vague answers won’t cut it. The best sites have real people ready to help—ideally 24/7, but at minimum during peak hours.
How We Rate Online Casinos
Online casinos come with their own set of expectations. And we hold them to a very high standard. Here’s what we look for when we’re reviewing casino gambling platforms specifically:
- 🎰 Game Variety – Slots? Table games? Live dealers? We want to see it all. The best casinos offer hundreds (hopefully even thousands) of titles with something for everyone.
- 🧩 Software Providers – If the games come from trusted names like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, or Evolution, that’s a good sign. Low-budget or glitchy software? Not so much.
- 🧮 Return to Player (RTP) – A higher RTP means better value over time. We check for games with competitive payout percentages and whether the site is upfront about them.
- 💥 Jackpots & Progressive Slots – We look for games with serious prize potential. Casinos that offer a good mix of progressive and fixed jackpot slots get higher marks.
- 🎛️ Live Dealer Experience – The live casino should feel immersive, not like you’re watching a glitchy stream from five years ago. We test for game variety, stream quality, and table availability.
- 🧱 Game Organization & Filters – A great game library is useless if you can’t navigate it. We look for clean layouts, smart filters, and search tools that actually work.
- ⚙️ Slot Features & Variety – We dig into what makes the games fun. Bonus rounds, wild features, free spins, expanding reels—you name it. If every slot feels the same, that’s a miss.
How We Rate Online Sportsbooks
Sportsbooks play by a different set of rules, and we rate them accordingly. Here’s what we look at when reviewing online betting platforms:
- 🏈 Betting Market Coverage – A good sportsbook covers the basics (NFL, NBA, MLB), but a great one goes even further! I’m talking college sports, tennis, MMA, darts, handball, water polo, and every other sport/league you can think of. We like options.
- 💸 Odds Value & Consistency – Competitive odds can make or break your long-term success. We compare lines across sportsbooks to see who’s offering real value, not just flashy promos.
- ⚡ Live Betting Experience – Live betting should be smooth, fast, and full of options. We test how responsive the in-play platform is and how easy it is to place bets mid-game.
- 🔄 Cash-Out & Bet Editing Features – Flexible features like early cash-out or the ability to edit open bets give players more control—and that’s a big plus in our book.
- 🎯 Same-Game Parlays & Bet Builders – We look for intuitive bet-building tools that let you customize wagers, especially for popular sports like football and basketball.
- 📊 Stats, Insights & Tools – We love when a sportsbook helps you make smarter bets. In-depth stats, trends, and previews give users an edge. So, we always reward sites that include them.
Our Scoring System
When our team at ATS.io reviews sites (whether it’s sportsbooks, online casinos, or social casinos), they each get a score on a 0.0 to 5.0 scale. But the number alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
These ratings reflect real testing by our team, based on everything from security and licensing to payouts, odds, and user experience. A high score means the platform delivers. A low one? There’s probably a reason we suggest you skip it.
Here’s how to read our ratings:
| Score | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 4.5 – 5.0 ⭐ | Outstanding. Best-in-class site across the board. Safe, smooth, and loaded with value. Highly recommended. |
| 4.0 – 4.5 ✅ | Very Strong. Reliable platform with great features. Minor issues, if any. A solid pick for most players. |
| 3.5 – 4.0 👍 | Good. Still worth using (especially if it has a feature you really like and care about) but may lack consistency in some areas. |
| 3.0 – 3.5 ⚖️ | Average. Usable but rough around the edges. Decent experience, but nothing special. Read the review first. |
| 2.5 – 3.0 ⚠️ | Not Recommended. Functional, but too many trade-offs: slow payouts, poor app design, below-average support, etc. |
| 2.5 and below 🚫 | Avoid. Major red flags. Could be unlicensed, untrustworthy, or just flat-out broken. Not worth your time. |
Updating Our Reviews
Things can change pretty fast in the online gambling industry.
Promotions come and go, new features roll out, and some sites just flat-out improve (or get worse). That’s why we don’t just write a review and walk away. At ATS.io, we update our ratings and reviews several times a year—sometimes even more often if there’s a major change we’d like to tell you about.
If a site adds a slick new feature, revamps its bonus, or changes how it handles payouts, we’ll catch it.
And better yet, we’ve made it easy for you to get involved too. You can now leave a comment at the bottom of our reviews and rankings pages. Got feedback? A heads-up? Or just want to tell us what you think of a site you tried? We’re all ears.
Why You Can Trust Our Ratings
At ATS.io, our ratings aren’t based on guesswork. They’re built on real experience.
Our team is made up of a diverse group of individuals from all corners of the gambling world: sports writers, broadcasters, former oddsmakers, casino risk managers, and more. Some of us have worked behind the scenes at sportsbooks. Others have covered the industry for years.
Together, we bring hundreds of years of combined experience to the table. We’ve watched this industry shift, grow, and reinvent itself over the last couple of decades. And we know how to separate the noise and hype from reality.
Our writers and editors aren’t all in one place either. We’re spread across the U.S.—from New York to South Carolina, Kentucky, and beyond. Some of us even work from outside the U.S., which helps us keep an even broader pulse on the global sports betting and iGaming industry.
Most importantly, we follow strict editorial standards. No paid rankings. No fake reviews. Just honest, tested info that we’d want to read ourselves. If a site doesn’t meet our standards, we aren’t afraid to say so.
Want to know who’s behind the ratings? You can always check out our About Us page to see who’s on the ATS.io team.
