Last updated: May 2026 — James Whitfield, Catchandcook
At Catchandcook (catchandcook.co.uk), every casino review you read has been personally researched, tested, and written by James Whitfield. This page explains exactly how that process works, what criteria we examine, and how we arrive at an overall score for each non-UK casino we cover. We believe you deserve full transparency about how our ratings are produced — so here it is, in plain detail.
James Whitfield is the sole author and owner of Catchandcook. With years of hands-on experience evaluating online casinos for the GB market, James brings specialist knowledge of licensing frameworks, payment processing, bonus structures, and player protection practices that apply specifically to UK players using non-UK licensed sites.
James personally registers a real account at every casino before writing a review. That means depositing real money, claiming available bonuses, playing a cross-section of games, testing withdrawals, and contacting customer support directly. No review on Catchandcook is based on promotional materials supplied by operators or second-hand information gathered from other review sites.
Before a casino earns a full review, James checks its licensing credentials, ownership history, and any publicly available complaints or regulatory actions. Casinos that show clear red flags at this stage are either rejected entirely or flagged for a negative review that warns readers away.
James registers a genuine player account using standard GB player details. This tests how smooth the sign-up process is, what verification documents are requested, and how quickly the KYC process completes.
A real deposit is made using payment methods commonly used by UK players. James plays real-money sessions across multiple game types, then initiates a withdrawal to assess processing times, fees, and any friction in the cashout process.
Where a welcome bonus is available, James claims it and reads the full terms and conditions. Wagering requirements, game restrictions, time limits, and maximum win caps are all recorded and evaluated against industry norms.
James contacts customer support at least twice per review — typically once via live chat and once via email — to assess response times, the quality of answers, and the professionalism of the support team.
The casino is accessed on a mobile browser and, where applicable, a dedicated app. James assesses load times, game availability, navigation usability, and whether the full desktop feature set is accessible on mobile.
All findings are compiled into a structured score across six weighted categories. James then writes the review based solely on his personal testing experience and research.
Each casino is scored out of 10 in six categories. A weighted overall score is then calculated. The table below shows each category and the weight it carries in the final score.
| Category | Weighting | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Jurisdiction of licence, responsible gambling tools, player fund protection, history of regulatory compliance |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Bonus value, wagering requirements, fairness of terms, ongoing promotions, loyalty programmes |
| Game Selection | 20% | Number and variety of games, software providers, RTP transparency, live casino offering |
| Payment Methods | 15% | GBP support, available deposit and withdrawal options, processing speeds, fees |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability, response times, quality of assistance, language support |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Mobile browser performance, app quality, game availability on mobile, ease of navigation |
Every casino receives a final overall score on a scale of 1 to 10, calculated from the weighted category scores above. Here is how to interpret those scores:
Catchandcook may earn affiliate commissions when readers click through to a casino and register an account. This is how the site is funded. However, commercial relationships never influence review scores or editorial conclusions. James applies the same methodology to every casino regardless of whether an affiliate agreement exists. Casinos that perform poorly receive low scores and honest criticism, even where a potential commission is at stake. No casino operator is given the opportunity to review, edit, or approve content before publication. Every opinion expressed on Catchandcook reflects James Whitfield's independent assessment based on genuine personal testing.
Our primary obligation is to the GB players who read this site, not to the operators we review. That principle guides every review published on catchandcook.co.uk in 2026 and beyond.