How We Test
Every claim on this site comes from a real-money account opened from Ireland, not from a press kit. Here is the method, step by step.
Who we are
A small independent editorial team, not LeoVegas and not a marketing agency working for it
This guide is written by a small team led by Sarah Thompson. We are an affiliate site: we have no ownership link to LeoVegas Gaming plc, the Malta-based operator, or to MGM Resorts, which has owned the group since 2022. We see the same cashier and the same terms as any new player in Ireland.
That matters for the method. If a review is written from a press release, it repeats the press release. We would rather write down what happened when we deposited, played, asked for our money back and waited.
Sarah Thompson
Casino Review Lead · 8+ years testing casinos
Sarah runs the test accounts, reads the terms and signs off every page on this site. She has spent more than eight years opening casino accounts, chasing payouts and comparing what operators promise with what their terms actually allow.
Our casino testing process
Eight steps, run on a real account, in the same order every time
Open a real-money account from Ireland
We register with an Irish address and an Irish bank account, the way a reader would. No test logins, no affiliate back-office view. We note what the sign-up form asks for and whether deposit limits are offered at this stage or buried later.
Deposit €10 or more with Irish payment methods
€10 is the LeoVegas minimum, so that is where we start. We use methods players here actually have: a Visa or Mastercard debit card, PayPal, Trustly and, where it matters for a page, an e-wallet such as Skrill or MuchBetter. Credit cards are banned for gambling in Ireland since 5 February 2026, so we check that the cashier refuses them.
Go through KYC before the first withdrawal
We upload ID and proof of address and record what was asked for, whether the request came before or after the first cash-out, and how many rounds of documents it took. Verification is where many payout complaints start, so we want to hit it ourselves.
Read the bonus terms in full
Not the banner, the terms. For the Irish welcome offer that means the €10 minimum deposit, the 14-day window after registration, 25x wagering within 7 days, spins that expire in 3 days and game contributions that vary. We look for the clauses that cost players money: maximum bets while wagering, excluded games and what happens to winnings if you withdraw early.
Time every withdrawal
The clock starts when we press “withdraw” and stops when the money is visible in the receiving account, not when the casino marks it “approved”. We log pending time and transfer time separately, because they fail for different reasons.
Contact support at different hours
We open live chat in the morning, the afternoon, the evening and late at night, on weekdays and at weekends. Chat is not always staffed around the clock, so the time of day is part of the result. We ask real questions (a wagering clause, a pending payout, how to set a limit) and judge whether the answer was correct, not just polite.
Check the mobile site and the iOS app
An iOS app is available in Ireland. We install it, log in, deposit, find the responsible gambling tools and try a withdrawal from the phone. The mobile browser version gets the same pass, since Android players will mostly use it.
Verify the licence ourselves
We look up LeoVegas Gaming plc on the Malta Gaming Authority register (MGA/CRP/237/2013) and confirm its Irish remote bookmaker’s licence on the Revenue list. We also note what does not exist yet: Ireland has no online casino licence, because the GRAI began with betting licences and casino licences come in a later phase.
How we calculate withdrawal speed
One fast payout proves nothing, and one slow one can be a bank holiday. So we run several withdrawals per method, spread over different weekdays, and report the median: we sort the times from shortest to longest and take the middle value (with an even number of runs, the average of the two middle values). A median ignores the single freak result in either direction. Weekends and Irish bank holidays are logged but flagged. We publish the measured results on the pages where they apply, next to the date of the test, and we don’t publish a figure we haven’t measured.
Affiliate disclosure
This site earns money. When a reader clicks one of our LeoVegas buttons and opens an account, we may receive a commission from the operator. That is how the test deposits, the time spent on terms and the site itself get paid for. Here is what that arrangement does not buy:
- It doesn’t change scores. The weights below are fixed before a test starts, and a commission rate is not one of them.
- We don’t take payment for reviews. No operator can buy a page, a rating or the removal of a criticism.
- Weak points stay in. Live chat that isn’t always staffed, no phone line for players, no no-deposit bonus, no crypto: if it’s true, it’s on the page.
- You pay nothing extra. The offer you get through our link is the same public offer shown on the LeoVegas site.
How we score: six criteria and their weights
The weights add up to 100%. Safety and getting paid count for almost half.
| Licensing & safety | 25% | Licence status on the MGA register, Irish Revenue licence, responsible gambling tools, how KYC is handled |
| Payments & withdrawal speed | 20% | Irish-friendly methods, €10 minimum, fees, median payout time from request to money received |
| Bonus fairness | 15% | Wagering, time limits, game contributions, max-bet and early-withdrawal clauses |
| Games | 15% | Range of slots, live tables and jackpots, published RTPs, search and filters |
| Support | 15% | Chat availability by hour, accuracy of answers, complaint handling |
| Mobile | 10% | iOS app and mobile site: cashier, limits and withdrawals work on a phone |
Swipe the table sideways · tap a column to sort
Each criterion is marked out of 10 against written notes from the test, then multiplied by its weight. If the licence can’t be verified, we don’t recommend it at all, whatever the total says.
How we correct mistakes
Terms change, payment methods get dropped and we sometimes get things wrong. When that happens, this is what we do.
- We spot it
A re-check finds the change
Every page is checked again against its sources: the LeoVegas terms, the cashier in our own account, the MGA register and the Irish regulators. A changed figure, a dropped payment method or a new rule gets flagged on the page it affects.
- We re-check
We go back to the source
If the change needs a new test (a withdrawal, a support chat), we run one rather than take either side’s word for it.
- We fix and date it
The dates in the byline move
The byline at the foot of every page shows three dates. “Updated” moves when we change the text; “Checked” moves when we verify the facts again, even if nothing needed changing. A factual correction always moves both.
Myths about casino reviews
Myth: an affiliate review is just an advert.
Fact: some are. The way to tell is whether the page names weaknesses and shows how it reached its verdict. Ours lists both, and the method is on this page.
Myth: a big welcome bonus means a good casino.
Fact: the headline number is the least useful part of an offer. Wagering, the time limit and game contributions decide what it is worth, which is why bonus fairness carries 15% and the headline amount carries nothing.
Myth: “Licensed” on a footer is proof enough.
Fact: anyone can type a licence number. We check it on the regulator’s own register, and we say plainly that no Irish online casino licence exists yet.
Myth: payout speed is whatever the casino says it is.
Fact: casinos quote processing time. You care about the moment money lands in your account. That is the only time we measure.
Common player mistakes our test catches
Most complaints we read trace back to one of these
Missing the 14-day window
The welcome offer needs a €10+ deposit within 14 days of registering. Sign up today and deposit next month, and the offer is gone.
Forgetting the 7-day clock
25x wagering has to be done within 7 days, and the spins expire in 3. Play once at the weekend and the bonus can expire before you finish.
Playing games that barely count
Contributions vary by game. Wagering on low-contribution tables can burn the bonus period without moving the requirement much.
Leaving KYC until the first cash-out
Upload your documents early. Verification after a win is the slowest route to your money.
Trying a credit card
Credit cards have been banned for gambling in Ireland since 5 February 2026. Use a debit card, PayPal or Trustly instead.
Not sure whether a win has to be declared? Our page on whether LeoVegas winnings are taxed in Ireland covers the rules.
How to reach us
We don’t publish an email address, a phone number or social media accounts. That is deliberate: the site is a guide, not a support desk. What we check and when is on the About page, and the corrections process above explains how a change reaches the page.
One thing we can’t do is fix your account. For a stuck withdrawal, a bonus dispute or a verification problem, contact LeoVegas support through live chat in the app or on the site. If that doesn’t solve it, the About page walks through the complaint route to the operator, the independent dispute service and the Malta Gaming Authority.
If gambling has stopped being fun
Talk to Gambling Care or Problem Gambling Ireland, and see how to self-exclude from LeoVegas.
Check our work yourself
The best test of a method is repeating it. Open an account, read the welcome terms before you deposit, and time your own first withdrawal. If your result differs from what we wrote, trust your own cashier history over any review, including this one.
18+ only. Gamble responsibly. Terms apply.