One Person, Every Casino's Terms in One Place
I am Valerii Zalivkin, and I built GambleGrade alone. The clauses that cost players money are buried in the middle of documents few read, so I collect each operator's terms and conditions, work through them clause by clause, quote the exact wording behind every flag, and publish the formula that produces each score. Everything is verifiable: the operator's own words and the mathematics behind them.
Who Runs This
Valerii Zalivkin
I built GambleGrade to put every online casino's rules in one place, across all 37 markets it covers. Casino terms are long, change without notice, and bury the costly clauses in the middle - so they get collected here, read clause by clause, quoted and dated, and you see them before the money rather than after.
- 2024Started buildingBegan work on GambleGrade with the mission of gathering all casino rules in one location and working through them clause by clause.
- 2024Formula publishedFinalized and released the six-pillar scoring formula in advance of computing the first score, ensuring the method was transparent from day one.
- 2025Pipelines builtDeveloped the scraping, terms analysis, scoring algorithms, and versioning infrastructure that operate the platform independently.
- 202637 markets liveWent live in August 2026 across all 37 markets concurrently, with each market's rules examined according to its own setting.
Rules First, Rankings After
- Rankings driven by which operator pays the most
- Scores backed by unnamed sources or unverifiable claims
- One generic template repackaged for each region
- Ratings shift when partnership money does
- Affiliate deals buried deep in fine print
- No methodology disclosed, no formula weights published
- Outdated content recycled without re-checking facts
- Scores calculated by a published formula anyone can verify
- Every input is concrete and disclosed in full
- 37 markets, each with its own regulatory and payment ruleset
- Ratings recalculate when the underlying data shifts
- Affiliate partnerships listed openly - they do not affect position
- Six pillars of assessment, with documented weights
- Terms-of-service pages re-analysed and all ratings re-scored monthly
Independence
Affiliate income covers hosting and the cost of running scrapers. The income has no access to the ranking code. A separation built into architecture, not just into promises.
Transparency
Methodology is public. Data sources are named. Formula weights are written down. A score does not go live unless I can walk backwards through every step that produced it.
Data-First
I set the weights once. The scoring engine runs from there without me in the loop. No manual override exists. My opinion of a casino has zero influence on where it ranks.
From Discovery to Live Rating: The Complete Process
I build and maintain the formula. Automated systems handle discovery, data collection, scoring calculations, and publication. The entire catalogue is re-scored monthly against the latest terms-of-service data.
Identifying Casinos and Verifying UKGC Licenses
Daily crawlers search for new operators across 37 markets. When a brand appears, I verify its UK Gambling Commission license against official records, examine its corporate background, and check for any sanctions or revoked credentials. Only licensed operators with valid credentials join the catalogue.
Collecting Data Systematically
Automated systems retrieve data from regulator databases, public records, payment processors, and game studios. Thousands of data points are gathered by machine - no manual entry, no hand-typed bonus terms, no outdated snapshots.
Computing the Ratings
Raw data is standardised and processed through the formula, which scores each casino across six pillars: trust and licensing, bonus fairness, payout speed, payment options, UX and mobile experience, and player reviews. The formula determines the ranking. I never manually adjust scores, and no business arrangement affects the order.
Manual Review and Explanation
I examine unusual results, verify edge cases by hand, and document the reasoning behind what the data shows. My role is to clarify the numbers - not to alter them.
Publishing and Ongoing Monitoring
When the monthly re-scoring cycle completes, automated systems publish the updated ratings. Monitoring tools watch for license changes or unusual shifts in payout performance and flag anything requiring further investigation.
Six commitments built into the score
These principles are embedded in the formula. Nothing overrides them.
Position is determined by data, never by money
Casinos cannot purchase placement. The platform runs on affiliate revenue, but the ranking itself comes purely from the formula - financial arrangements have zero influence on position.
The algorithm decides, I do not
I set the weights and select the data sources once. After that point, the scoring engine operates without intervention - no manual adjustments, no exceptions, no override buttons.
Built for the person funding the deposit
Every weight, every predatory term flagged, every feature on this site exists because it helps someone choose a casino more carefully - not because a casino operator requested it.
All methodology is visible and testable
The scoring logic is documented publicly. Data sources are named. Each calculation step is published. Anyone with the same inputs can reproduce any casino's rating.
Every rating recalculates monthly
Outdated scores mislead players. A scraper re-evaluates each casino's rating once per month against current UKGC licensing, recent payout test data, and the latest terms snapshot.
Errors and fixes live in the open
When a rating is incorrect or the scraper encounters a failure, I log both the error and the correction in a public changelog. Reader reports are tracked the same way.
Why Affiliate Revenue Never Changes a Casino's Score
How the technical architecture and operational process ensure casino ratings remain independent of the affiliate revenue that sustains GambleGrade.
I run this platform independently, with no sales team influencing scores. The rating system accesses only the scoring database - affiliate records are held separately and the formula cannot reach them.
Every casino is scored against the same six pillars with identical weighting: trust and UKGC licensing, bonus fairness, payout speed, payment methods, mobile experience, and user feedback. The inputs and thresholds remain constant across all brands, irrespective of affiliate arrangements.
When you follow certain links, I receive a referral fee - this is always disclosed at the point of the link. Whether a casino pays affiliate commission affects only my earnings from it; it does not influence its rating or position in the catalogue.
Casinos may submit factual corrections - a new licensing detail, an additional payment method, updated branding. I verify each submission manually before it enters the system. Rating changes and ranking adjustments cannot be requested, negotiated, or purchased.
Six pillars. One public formula. Scores that don't shift for sponsorship.
I score every casino across six fixed dimensions using verifiable data. The complete methodology - calculation steps, flag definitions, data sources - is published so you can reproduce any score yourself.
Trust & Licensing
UK Gambling Commission jurisdiction, operator history, automated analysis of terms-of-service pages for unfair clauses, live support responsiveness.
Withdrawal Speed
Real withdrawal times sourced from transaction records - same-day payouts in GBP rank higher than multi-day delays.
Bonus Fairness
True bonus value after accounting for wagering requirements, maximum cashout limits, and restrictive terms.
Player Reviews
Player feedback sourced from Trustpilot, AskGamblers, forums and other spaces where users share genuine experiences.
Payment Options
Range of deposit and withdrawal methods - card networks, e-wallets, bank transfers - plus minimum stakes and maximum exit limits.
User Experience & Mobile
Page load speed, navigation design, mobile performance, and site stability under peak usage.