How we rate operators
Written by the CasinoGuide PH editorial team. About 9 minutes to read.
Every online casino and sportsbook on CasinoGuide PH is scored out of 10 with the same five hands-on tests and the same fixed weights. We publish the method here so you can see why a casino scores what it does, and check our work.
We test the way a player in the Philippines would: with our own pesos, local payment methods and real support questions. We check PAGCOR licensing first, because a casino that isn’t licensed here can’t protect you, however good its games are.
In short
Five tests, real money on every test, fixed weights, and a public changelog every time a score moves. Commissions and ownership never change a score.
The five tests and their weights
What a casino's score is made of
Safety
25%
Payouts
25%
Support
15%
Fairness
20%
Range
15%
Each test is scored from 0 to 10, then weighted.
Test
Weight
What it tells you
Safety
25%
Whether the casino is legal here, protects your account, and gives you real tools to control your play
Payouts
25%
How fast your money actually arrives, what it costs, and what can hold it up
Support
15%
Whether you get a fast, correct answer, in Filipino or English, when something goes wrong
Fairness
20%
Whether the terms are fair, the games are honest about their RTP, and complaints get resolved
Range
15%
How much there is to play from accredited studios, and how well it runs on your phone
Safety and payouts carry the most weight on purpose: together they’re half the score. Big bonuses and a deep lobby aren’t worth your money if the casino isn’t licensed here or won’t pay you on time.
What we check in each test
25%
of the score
Safety
We check the casino against PAGCOR’s official list of licensed online gaming platforms, the PAGCOR Guarantee page, and confirm the web address matches. We check that ID verification happens before the first deposit, as PAGCOR now requires, and that operator details, terms and a privacy policy are published. We also test the responsible gambling tools: deposit limits, cooling-off, online self-exclusion, the 21+ policy, and whether the National Problem Gambling Helpline is shown.
Scores 9 or more
Licensed with a matching address, ID checked before deposit, and every responsible gambling tool we try works.
Scores below 6
Missing or broken limit or self-exclusion tools, or unclear operator details.
25%
of the score
Payouts
We deposit our own money and make five timed withdrawals with each local method the casino offers, at different times of day and on weekends. We publish the median time from request to money received, not the fastest one, and record fees, minimums, maximums and anything that held a payout up. Payment rules for online gambling are changing in the Philippines, so each review lists the methods that worked when we tested.
Scores 9 or more
Median e-wallet or bank payout within the same day, no withdrawal fees, nothing held without explanation.
Scores below 6
Withdrawals taking several days, surprise fees, or any payout held without a clear reason.
15%
of the score
Support
We contact support on every channel offered, with real questions about withdrawals, ID checks and bonus terms, at different hours. We time the replies, check whether the answers are correct, and note whether help is available in Filipino as well as English.
Scores 9 or more
Live chat answers within minutes, gets the answer right, and offers Filipino.
Scores below 6
Slow or scripted replies, wrong answers about payouts or terms, or no way to reach a person.
20%
of the score
Fairness
We read the full general and bonus terms: wagering, maximum cashout, expiry, maximum bet and which games count. Offers have to stay within PAGCOR’s limits on cashback and rebates. We check that games come from accredited studios and show their RTP. And we trace player complaints to their outcome: a casino that resolves problems scores better than one that goes quiet.
Scores 9 or more
Plain-language terms, no clauses that let the casino void winnings at will, and complaints that get resolved.
Scores below 6
Unfair or hidden terms, or a pattern of unresolved payout complaints.
15%
of the score
Range
We count slots, live tables, table games, arcade games and sports markets, and give more credit to games from studios accredited by PAGCOR. We play on a phone over Smart and Globe mobile data at peak hours, because that’s how most players here play, and note anything slow or broken.
Scores 9 or more
A deep lobby from accredited studios that runs smoothly on mobile data.
Scores below 6
A thin lobby, unknown studios, or games that keep failing on a phone.
How we test a casino
1
License check
We confirm the casino on PAGCOR’s official list. If it isn’t there, we stop: it isn’t scored, and any page about it says so at the top.
2
Sign-up and ID check
We register a real account and complete verification, noting what’s asked for and how long it takes.
3
Real-money deposits and timed withdrawals
We deposit with local methods, play, then request withdrawals and time each one until the money arrives.
4
Support tests
We contact support with real questions at different times and record response times and answer quality.
5
Terms and complaints
We read the full terms and trace public complaints to their outcome.
6
Score, publish and log
Each test gets a score from 0 to 10, the weighted total is published with the date we last tested, and every later change is recorded in the review’s score changelog.
How the score adds up
Each test score is multiplied by its weight, and the results are added together. Here’s an example casino.
Example: how a 9.4 is worked out
Test
Score
Weight
Points
Safety
9.6
25%
2.40
Payouts
9.4
25%
2.35
Support
9.2
15%
1.38
Fairness
9.1
20%
1.82
Range
9.4
15%
1.41
CasinoGuide score
9.36 → 9.4
Every review shows this working under its score breakdown, so you can check it yourself.
What the scores mean
0
6
7
8
9
10
Score bands
Score
Rating
What it means for you
9.0–10
Licensed, fast payouts, fair terms and strong player protection
8.0–8.9
Strong overall, with one or two weaker areas explained in the review
7.0–7.9
A reasonable choice; check the weaker tests before you sign up
6.0–6.9
Usable, but with real gaps in payouts, support or terms
Below 6
Significant problems with payouts, terms or protection
A high score means a casino is well run and treats players fairly. It doesn’t make you more likely to win: every casino game has a house edge.
What doesn't change the score
Some things appear on our reviews but are kept out of the score, so it stays based on what we tested.
Commissions
We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links. It never changes a score, a ranking or what we write.
Budget
How big a casino is, or how much it spends on advertising, has no effect on its score. Casinos can’t pay for a review, a higher score or a better ranking.
Player reviews
Reviews from CasinoGuide PH readers are shown separately. Complaints we can trace to an outcome count under Fairness; opinions and star ratings don’t.
Other sites' ratings
Ratings from other review sites are shown for context, with a link and the date we checked them. They don’t feed our score.
Bonus size
Each bonus gets its own verdict on our bonus pages. A big offer doesn’t raise a casino’s score; unfair terms can lower Fairness.
Headline claims
We score what we measured. “Instant payouts” on a banner counts for nothing until our timed withdrawals show it.
Rules we always follow
No PAGCOR license. A casino that isn’t on PAGCOR’s official list is not prioritized and gets no link from us. We mention some unlicensed sites only so players can recognize them and understand the risk.
Scores can’t be bought. No commercial relationship changes a score, a ranking or a review. Our Disclaimer explains how CasinoGuide PH is funded.
Same method, every casino. Local and international brands, big and small, including brands owned by our group, get the same five tests and the same weights.
We re-test on a schedule. We check licenses against PAGCOR’s list weekly , re-run payout tests monthly, and fully re-review every casino at least right away, or straight away when its license, payment methods, terms or complaint volume change.
Every change is logged. When a score moves, the review’s changelog shows which test changed, by how much, and why.
We correct mistakes. If something is out of date, tell us. We’ll check it and update the review and its changelog.
CasinoGuide PH is for players aged 21 and over. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. If it stops being fun, call PAGCOR’s National Problem Gambling Helpline at (02) 8248-9568, open 24/7, or read our Responsible gambling guide for self-exclusion and other tools.
Frequently asked questions
How does CasinoGuide PH rate online casinos?
We score every casino out of 10 with five hands-on tests: Safety (25%), Payouts (25%), Support (15%), Fairness (20%) and Range (15%). Each test is scored from 0 to 10 using real money and real support contacts, then weighted and added up. Every casino gets the same tests and weights, and every score change is logged on its review.
Can an unlicensed casino get a high score?
No. We only score casinos on PAGCOR’s official list of licensed platforms. Unlicensed sites aren’t scored, ranked or linked, and players there have little protection if winnings aren’t paid or personal data is misused. You can check any site yourself on the PAGCOR Guarantee page before you deposit.
Do casinos pay for a better score?
No. CasinoGuide PH may earn a commission when you sign up through some of our links, but commissions never change a score, a ranking or what we write. Scores come only from our five published tests, applied the same way to every casino, including those owned by our group.
How often are scores updated?
We check licences against PAGCOR’s list weekly, re-run payout tests monthly, and fully re-review every casino at least twice a year, or immediately when something important changes. Each review shows the date we last tested it and a changelog of every score change.
Do player reviews affect the score?
Not directly. Reader reviews and other sites’ ratings are shown separately on each review. Complaints we can trace to an outcome count under Fairness, because they show how a casino behaves when something goes wrong.
What's the difference between a casino score and RTP?
Our score measures how well a casino is run. RTP (return to player) is set by each game: a 96% RTP means the game is designed to pay back about ₱96 for every ₱100 wagered, over a very large number of rounds. Neither predicts a single session, and neither means you’re likely to win.
Who is allowed to play at online casinos in the Philippines?
Adults aged 21 and over may play on PAGCOR-licensed platforms. Government officials and employees, and other people barred under PAGCOR rules, may not, and neither may anyone on PAGCOR’s National Database of Restricted Persons through self-exclusion or family exclusion. Always confirm a site on PAGCOR’s official list before you register.
Sources
- PAGCOR Guarantee: list of licensed online gaming platforms, pagcor.ph/pagcorguarantee (launched 18 June 2025)
- PAGCOR National Problem Gambling Helpline, launched 26 May 2026
- PAGCOR: ID and real-time selfie before deposit (Philippine News Agency, February 2026)
- PAGCOR memorandum on cash rebate and cashback programs, 7 May 2026
- BSP Memorandum M-2025-029 on in-app gambling access in payment apps, August 2025