How we test
How the lab works
What SonicBet is
SonicBet is a casino test lab in editorial form. We file reports on casino games and bonus terms, and keep a test sheet that scores the operators we cover.
How a report gets filed
Every report carries a number in the order it was filed and one byline, The SonicBet Desk. Its game types place it on a bench, and the register lists them all, newest first.
How the sheet scores
Each operator gets 6 readings from 0 to 10. The verdict is their weighted average. A reading we cannot take from the listed data shows as n/m, not measured, and the other weights stretch to cover it.
- Lab grade
The lab's overall grade for the operator, set on the sheet's 0 to 10 line in half steps. It carries the largest share of the verdict.
- Fine print
We count the concrete terms in the operator's bonus wording, such as a minimum deposit, a wagering multiple or a time limit. More stated terms, higher reading. An offer that says there is no welcome bonus scores 8.
- Cashier range
We count the payment methods the operator lists and how many families they cover: cards, e-wallets, bank transfer and crypto. A wider cashier reads higher.
- Licence file
We read the licences on file. Strict regulators such as the UKGC or a US state lift the reading most, a second licence adds a little more, and an offshore-only licence adds almost nothing.
- Service life
Years in operation since the founding year the operator lists. A longer service life reads higher, up to 10.
- Entry point
The lowest deposit in a fiat currency or a dollar stablecoin. The lower it sits, the higher the reading. No listed minimum means the reading is not measured.
Verdict bands
- Clear pass
- Pass
- Pass with notes
- Borderline
- Marginal
Why one operator holds the first column
Stake holds rank 01 as the reference operator. On the test sheet it stands in a column group of its own, left of the ranked run, and stays there under every tier filter and every ranking. The ranked columns start at 02.
Where the facts come from
Bonus figures, licences, deposit minimums and payment methods come from what each operator lists. We add readings and opinion. We do not add figures of our own.
Affiliate links
Some links to operators earn us a commission if you sign up. They never change a reading or a position on the sheet.
Who files the reports
The SonicBet Desk is the site's editorial desk, not a person. A report is desk research written with AI tools, and it is filed in these steps.
- Documents first
Before a draft exists the desk collects what the report rests on, such as published game rules and paytables, regulator pages, operator terms and published research.
- Drafted with AI
AI tools write the draft from those documents only. A second AI pass tightens the headings and openings and adds no facts.
- Checked by code
Every number and date is matched to a document before the report is filed. A report that fails a check is held back until it is fixed.
- Documents we read
New reports end with the documents they rest on. Links in the text go to those documents or to other reports, never to an offer.
- No hands-on claims
The desk does not play the games or deposit with operators for a report, and no report says it did. Tested, bench and reading are the lab's filing words for that desk research.
Older reports in the register came out of an earlier AI-assisted process and carry no source list.