How this site is paid for
The longer version
Almost every casino comparison site you'll come across in the UK is funded the same way: by affiliate marketing. The operators run programs that pay a fee — usually a one-off, sometimes a share of the operator's long-term margin — when a new customer signs up via a tracked link. We take part in those programs. It's how the bills get paid.
What this means in practice on Reel Verdicts:
- The "Visit operator" buttons on this site are sponsored. They carry the
rel="sponsored noopener nofollow"attributes that search engines and ad regulators expect. - The destination of each button is the operator's real, public website. There are no redirect chains through unrelated domains and no hidden landing pages.
- Different operators pay different amounts. None of them pay enough to change a verdict, and none of them have ever been told that they could buy one.
- Operators don't see a draft of their review before it goes live. They get the same version readers do.
What it doesn't change
The running order on the scorecard, the wording of the verdict, and which operators appear in the first place are all editorial calls. If a smaller, lower-paying brand has the better mobile experience for the angle a comparison is taking, it goes higher up. If a higher-paying brand has a clunky lobby, the review says so.
What it does change
The simple truth: affiliate income is what makes the writing possible at all. Without it, a site like this couldn't justify the time it takes to actually use the operators on real devices, write the reviews properly, and keep them current. We'd rather be straightforward about that than pretend otherwise.
Regulatory bits
UK advertising rules — the CAP and BCAP codes — require gambling marketing to be socially responsible, not to portray gambling as a way to make money, and not to use language that pressures people into signing up. We aim higher than that floor and we welcome being held to it. If you spot anything on this site that falls short, please tell us through the contact page.