Our Scoring Rubric — how we rank casinos for Arab players
Six criteria, weighted by what actually matters to an Arab player opening their first online casino account. We publish the rubric in full because if we don't, you have no way to check our work.
The six criteria
Is the operating licence active and enforceable? What licensing regime? (Curaçao under the new CGCB / LOK regime, Anjouan, MGA, UKGC, etc.) Has the operator faced unresolved complaints at LCB, AskGamblers or eCOGRA? Is the random-number generator independently audited? Where the operator pools player funds with operational funds rather than segregating them, that's an automatic score below 6.30%
Measured to the minute: time from withdrawal request → operator processing → money arrives in your bank or wallet. We test on the lowest-fee rail (usually USDT-TRC20 or bank wire). Hidden minimums, rolling withdrawal caps, or requests for additional KYC documentation after the first withdrawal trigger automatic downgrades.20%
Wagering requirement (we prefer ≤35x on the bonus, not on bonus+deposit). Max-bet cap during wagering (we prefer ≥€5). Game weighting (slots typically 100%; if table games count 0% and live dealer 0%, the bonus has limited utility). Time limit (we prefer ≥30 days). Plain-Arabic T&C summary in our review.15%
Slot library breadth and depth (number of titles, named providers — Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Play'n GO, Hacksaw, Nolimit City, NetEnt, Yggdrasil). Live-dealer table count and provider. Arabic-speaking dealer availability where the operator targets MENA. Provider blacklists (we mark operators that work with low-quality "skin" providers).15%
Arabic-language live-chat hours. Response time (we log the time-to-first-meaningful-reply on every test ticket). Mobile-site performance (logged from a Saudi or UAE residential connection). Native app stability where applicable.10%
Full Arabic interface (not just translated headers). AED / SAR / KWD / EGP currency acceptance. Local payment-rail support (mada, KNET, Stc Pay, Fawry, OmanNet) where genuinely available. Friday-Saturday support coverage (weekend in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco — and in Algeria for civil business). Ramadan-aware promotion design (no "drink to win" promos during the holy month).10%
Automatic downgrade triggers
Three conditions force a score below 6 regardless of how the operator scores on the other criteria:
- Unresolved complaint about a withheld withdrawal over 30 days old at a major dispute body (LCB, AskGamblers, eCOGRA, ThePOGG, or the operator's licensing regulator).
- Bonus terms that allow the operator to confiscate winnings on grounds the player could not reasonably have known at sign-up (e.g. an undocumented "irregular play" clause invoked after the fact).
- Public-record promotion to underage users, or targeted re-engagement of an account that has activated self-exclusion at this or another operator.
Score calculation, worked example
| Criterion | Raw score (0–10) | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security & licensing | 9 | 30% | 2.7 |
| Withdrawals | 9 | 20% | 1.8 |
| Bonus terms | 8 | 15% | 1.2 |
| Games | 9 | 15% | 1.35 |
| Support & UX | 9 | 10% | 0.9 |
| Arab-player suitability | 10 | 10% | 1.0 |
| Composite | 8.95 → 9.0 |
Why these weights, and not others
We weight security highest (30%) because every other criterion is moot if your money is unsafe. We weight withdrawals (20%) higher than bonuses (15%) because a fast withdrawal is a feature you use repeatedly, while a welcome bonus is a one-time event. We weight Arab-player suitability at 10% — not higher — because over-weighting it would push us toward bad operators that happen to have an Arabic interface; the Arabic interface is a tie-breaker, not a free pass on licensing.
Who scores, who fact-checks
Every score is set by the reviewing analyst (typically Ali Al-Ghazali or Farouk Omar) and audited by Rana Hamdan before publication. Where scores are revised between scheduled re-tests, the revision date and reason are added to the review.
How operators can dispute a score
See our dispute process. Short version: email [email protected] with the specific criterion in dispute, the evidence you wish us to consider, and we'll acknowledge within 2 working days and conclude within 10.