About Us – How We Review EU Casinos Not on GamStop

Gambling Sites is an independent research site built for GB players looking at casinos operating outside the UK's self-exclusion scheme. We exist because this corner of the market is confusing and poorly explained elsewhere, and we think players deserve a clear, honest breakdown of what these sites are, how they work, and what to check before signing up anywhere.

We don't operate a casino ourselves and we never take deposits or bets. Our job is to gather publicly available information on licensing, bonus terms, game selection and payment options for each operator we cover, then present it in a way that's easy to compare on one page.

Why This Site Exists

GAMSTOP is the UK's national self-exclusion scheme, and it's a genuinely useful tool for anyone who wants to block themselves from UKGC-licensed sites for a set period. But GAMSTOP has no reach beyond the UK-licensed market. Plenty of GB players search for options once their self-exclusion period is active, either out of curiosity about how the wider market works or because they're looking at what happens once an exclusion period ends. We built this site to answer that search with facts rather than vague warnings, covering how these operators are licensed, what they offer, and where the genuine differences lie between them and UKGC-regulated sites.

We're upfront about the positives readers ask about too: sites outside GAMSTOP's remit are often licensed in jurisdictions such as Curaçao, which typically means fewer deposit restrictions, larger headline welcome offers, and access to game studios or bonus structures not always seen on UKGC-licensed platforms. We report these features factually, alongside the trade-offs, rather than either overselling or dismissing them.

What We Actually Compare

Every operator that appears on this site is assessed against the same set of criteria, so the ratings you see reflect a consistent process rather than a subjective gut feeling:

Licensing — which regulator issued the operator's licence, and what that licence does and doesn't guarantee for a GB player
Welcome offers and terms — the headline bonus figure alongside wagering requirements, maximum bet limits and expiry windows, since these determine whether an offer is realistic
Game range — the balance of slots, table games and live-dealer studios, and which software providers are behind them
Payment methods — the deposit and withdrawal options available to GB customers, typical processing times, minimums and any fees
Adjacent products — whether the operator also runs a sportsbook or other betting product alongside the casino
Player protection tools — deposit limits, cooling-off periods or other controls the operator itself offers, separate from GAMSTOP

Commission from affiliate partnerships never buys a higher position on this site. An operator with a bigger advertising budget is scored on exactly the same table as one that doesn't advertise with us at all.

Our Top-Rated Picks, and Why They're Here

Betmica tops our current table with a 570% welcome package up to £5,700 plus 270 free spins — one of the largest headline figures we track, though as with any offer this size, players should read the wagering requirements and maximum bet rules before assuming the full bonus is easy to clear.

Kikibet follows closely with a 350% offer up to £5,555 and 300 free spins. It's a strong package for slots-focused players, but free spin values and game restrictions vary by promotion, so the terms are worth checking against your preferred titles.

Betninja rounds out our top three with a flat £1,000 bonus plus 100 free spins for new players — simpler and easier to compare than percentage-based offers, though the flat structure means high-stakes players may find larger percentage deals elsewhere on this table better suited to bigger deposits.

Further down the table, operators such as Zombillion, Rivo and Smash Casino all carry ratings of 9.6 or above and appear in our comparison table below because their published terms, game ranges and payment options met the same bar.

How the Money Works

Deposits and withdrawals at these operators are generally handled in a mix of currencies, with GBP commonly supported alongside euros and, on several sites, cryptocurrency. Typical funding routes include debit cards, e-wallets and, on some platforms, crypto wallets — Paysafe-branded options also feature on a number of the sites we track. Withdrawal times, minimum cash-out amounts and any processing fees differ by operator and by method, so this is always worth confirming on the operator's own terms page before depositing. None of these details should be treated as fixed across the whole market — they vary site to site.

The Range on Offer

Across the operators we cover, the game catalogue typically splits into slots (the largest category by volume, spanning classic three-reel titles through to modern video slots with bonus features), table games (blackjack, roulette and baccarat variants), and live-dealer rooms streamed from studios with real dealers. Several operators also run poker rooms or dedicated crypto-game sections. The exact mix differs by site, which is why we break it out per operator rather than assuming one catalogue fits all.

Beyond the Casino Floor

A number of the operators we review don't stop at slots and table games. Some run a full sportsbook alongside the casino, covering football, tennis and other major sports, which is worth knowing if you're comparing betting sites not on GAMSTOP rather than casino-only platforms. Where a site offers both, we note it, since the licensing and payment setup usually carries across both products.

Licensing, Eligibility and Local Rules

The operators covered on this site typically hold licences from regulators outside the UK, most commonly in Curaçao, rather than a UKGC licence. That means GAMSTOP's self-exclusion tools don't apply to them, and UK consumer protections tied specifically to UKGC licensing don't extend to these platforms either. Players remain responsible for checking an operator's licence, terms and age verification (18+) before signing up, and for understanding that dispute resolution and regulatory oversight work differently outside the UK framework. We set out what we know about each operator's licensing on its individual review, and we encourage readers to verify current status directly with the operator before depositing.

What We Won't Do

We won't tell you that playing at a casino outside GAMSTOP is against the rules or that you shouldn't do it — that's not our call to make, and it isn't accurate. What we will do is give you the facts needed to make your own decision: how these sites are licensed, what their offers actually involve once the terms are applied, and where the genuine differences from UKGC-licensed sites lie. For a full rundown of the market and our full-length reviews, see our guide to non-GamStop casinos in the UK.

Staying in Control

If you've self-excluded through GAMSTOP, that decision and the reasons behind it are yours. We'd rather point you toward tools that support it than pretend the topic doesn't exist. Our Responsible Gambling page covers where to find independent support services and how self-exclusion schemes work more broadly, regardless of which sites you're considering.

Get in Touch

Spotted an outdated offer, a licensing change, or something we've got wrong? We'd genuinely rather know. Our Contact Us page is the quickest way to reach us, and our full terms of use for this site are set out on our Terms and Conditions page.