How We Rate

The four checks

Every site on AusRoo is scored on the same four checks, in the same order, from the same evidence. Each check is worth up to one point and the score is one plus the four, so it runs from 1 to 5; the ranking on the home page follows it. Nobody types a score in: it is computed from the recorded terms, and the points table at the end of this page is generated from the same code.

1. Bonus value

We record the welcome bonus exactly as the operator publishes it: match percentage, cap, minimum deposit, turnover multiple and the base it applies to, claim limit, maximum withdrawal, eligible games and exclusions. Each record carries the date it was read.

The score looks first at what the turnover multiple applies to, because the same printed number is a different rule at different sites (our bonus terms report sets out the wording). A betting requirement on a stated base scores by its multiple; a multiple with no stated base scores lower; a base whose rule is unclear, and a balance target (winover), score lowest. Then the cash-out cap and the minimum deposit. Rules that are easy to trip (full-line betting, no feature buys, forfeited remainder) are recorded on each review but not scored, because nearly every site uses them. A 150% headline earns nothing on its own.

2. Banking

PayID and Osko score above bank-transfer-only. Cards and crypto add breadth. We record the deposit methods shown in the logged-in cashier, not the ones in marketing copy. Payout speed will enter here once our timed withdrawal tests complete; until then it is not scored.

3. Pokies range

The number of studios visible in the lobby and whether the majors (JILI, PG Soft, Mega888) are present. Playtech is not counted: several lobbies we track list it, but Playtech blocks Australian connections, so its games do not open for players in Australia. More is better, but a site with 50 well-chosen studios can outscore one with 80 padded by duplicates. Jackpot, live and mini-game sections are listed on each review.

4. Support and payout

Live chat hours, Telegram or WhatsApp availability, and advertised payout processing. Our own timed withdrawal tests are in progress; measured times will be published on each review page as they complete.

How ties are broken

The order on the home page and on every category page is computed from the recorded figures by one fixed rule. Nobody places a site by hand, there is no “pick” that sits above the list, and no position is stored in our records; each build recomputes the order from the data. The rule is applied in this sequence, and a later step is used only when every earlier step is a tie:

• a. Rating, highest first. The 1–5 score from the four checks above.
• b. Minimum deposit for the welcome bonus, lowest first. A site that does not state a minimum deposit is treated as if it were infinitely high and sorts after every site that does.
• c. Number of deposit methods, most first.
• d. Site name (URL slug), A to Z. A fixed, deterministic fallback so that two sites with identical figures always appear in the same order.

The Editor’s Pick badge does not move a site. At most one site carries it, it appears at that site’s computed position, and it must state a reason that a reader can check against the card (a turnover figure, a minimum deposit, a cash-out cap, a deposit method). A pick without such a reason is rejected when the site is built. Sites that share ownership with AusRoo carry a “Shared ownership with AusRoo” label on their card, linking to the about page; the label is shown whether or not the site also carries the Editor’s Pick.

The same rule, in the same order, is the code that builds the site (src/lib/ranking.ts). It takes the brand records and nothing else; there is no parameter for promoting or holding a site. If two sites swap places between visits, one of the figures above changed, and the new figure carries its verification date. Category pages that sort by a single field (for example turnover on the welcome-bonus page) apply that field first and this rule to break its ties.

How we test

Each payout test follows the same steps: register an account in a tester’s real name, deposit by the site’s fastest method, play through any bonus turnover, and request a withdrawal to a bank account in that name. For each completed test we record:

• the date of the deposit and the withdrawal request;
• the minutes from withdrawal request to money visible in the bank app;
• anything the operator asked for along the way.

Until a site's test is complete, its review page says "Payout test: pending" and its payout score reflects advertised processing times only. Operators are not told which account is ours.

How we read terms

We read promotion pages on a phone from an Australian connection, as a player would, and record the text as published. Where the terms on the promotion tile differ from a linked T&C page, we record both and note the conflict in the review. Every bonus record has a verifiedAt date; the footer of every page shows the most recent one. When a figure changes on the operator’s site, we update the record and the date together.

What we do not do

• We do not accept payment for placement or for a score.
• We do not estimate figures the operator does not publish. Unstated terms are shown as “not stated” and scored as a negative.
• We do not use star ratings supplied by operators.
• We do not list a site we cannot access from Australia.

Commercial relationships

AusRoo is funded by affiliate commissions from some of the operators it lists, and some listed brands share ownership with this site. Every outbound link to an operator is marked sponsored. The about page sets out the ownership relationship in full. A reader who wants to check our independence can compare our recorded terms against the operator’s page on the date shown; if they differ, tell us.

Corrections

If a figure on this site is wrong, we want to know. Corrections are made with a new verification date and noted on the review page.