How We Rate

Our Review Methodology at Schoolleaver

At Schoolleaver (schoolleaver.nz), every casino review you read has been personally researched and tested by Liam Hargreaves. This page explains exactly how that process works, what criteria we use to score each site, and why New Zealand players can trust the ratings you see across our guides.

We believe you deserve full transparency. Before we recommend any online casino to Kiwi players, we put it through a structured, multi-stage evaluation. Nothing is assumed, and no operator can buy a better score. Here is how it works from start to finish.

Step-by-Step: How Liam Hargreaves Reviews Each Casino

Step 1 – Initial Background Check

Before signing up, Liam researches the casino's ownership, corporate history, and regulatory status. Sites with a history of player complaints, withheld withdrawals, or unclear ownership are flagged immediately. Only operators that pass this preliminary check move forward in the process.

Step 2 – Account Registration

Liam creates a real player account using his own details — no demo environments, no operator-provided test accounts. This allows us to assess the actual sign-up experience that a New Zealand player would encounter, including identity verification steps and any region-specific restrictions.

Step 3 – Depositing Real Money

A real-money deposit is made using payment methods that are genuinely available to NZ players. This step is essential. It lets us verify deposit times, check that NZD is handled correctly, and confirm that no unexpected fees appear at checkout.

Step 4 – Playing the Games

Liam plays a cross-section of games across multiple categories — slots, table games, and live dealer titles. Software performance, loading speeds, fairness indicators, and game variety are all recorded during this phase.

Step 5 – Claiming and Testing Bonuses

Welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions are claimed as a standard player would claim them. Liam reads the full terms and conditions, notes wagering requirements, game restrictions, and maximum withdrawal limits, then compares what is advertised against what is actually delivered.

Step 6 – Testing Customer Support

Support teams are contacted via live chat, email, or both. Response times are recorded, answers are evaluated for accuracy, and the overall helpfulness of the team is rated. We test support during both peak and off-peak hours where possible.

Step 7 – Requesting a Withdrawal

A withdrawal is requested and the full process is monitored. We note how long verification takes, whether any unexpected documentation is requested, and how quickly funds reach the nominated account.

Step 8 – Mobile Testing

The casino is accessed on a mobile device to evaluate the browser-based or app experience. Layout, navigation, game availability, and deposit functionality are all assessed on a smaller screen.

How We Score: Our Rating Criteria and Weightings

Each casino receives a final score out of 10, calculated from six weighted categories. The table below shows every category and its contribution to the overall rating.

Rating Category	Weighting	What We Look At
Licensing & Safety	25%	Regulatory licence held, jurisdiction credibility, SSL encryption, responsible gambling tools, fairness certifications
Bonuses & Promotions	20%	Welcome offer value, wagering requirements, bonus terms fairness, ongoing promotions for existing players
Game Selection	20%	Total number of titles, software providers, variety of categories, live dealer offering, RTP transparency
Payment Methods	15%	NZD support, available deposit and withdrawal options, processing times, fee structures
Customer Support	10%	Response speed, availability hours, quality of answers, contact channels offered
Mobile Experience	10%	Browser compatibility, app availability, interface usability, mobile game library size

Understanding Our Rating Scale

All casinos at Schoolleaver are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with one decimal point of precision. Here is what each range means in plain terms:

9.0 – 10.0: Outstanding. One of the best options available to NZ players. Excels across nearly all categories.
7.5 – 8.9: Very Good. A strong, reliable casino with only minor weaknesses worth noting.
6.0 – 7.4: Average. Decent in some areas but falls short in others. Suitable for certain players depending on priorities.
4.0 – 5.9: Below Average. Notable problems were found. Approach with caution and read the full review carefully.
1.0 – 3.9: Poor. Significant issues detected. We do not recommend these sites to New Zealand players.

Casinos that fail our licensing and safety check outright will not receive a published score and will instead appear on our list of sites to avoid.

How Schoolleaver Stays Unbiased

Independence is the foundation of everything we publish. Liam Hargreaves operates Schoolleaver as an editorially independent platform. Our revenue comes from affiliate partnerships, meaning we may earn a commission when a reader signs up to a casino through our links. However, this commercial relationship never influences the score a casino receives.

Operators cannot pay to improve their rating or remove negative findings from a review.
All scores are calculated using the same weighted criteria applied consistently to every site we evaluate.
Negative findings — slow withdrawals, unfair bonus terms, poor support — are always published in full, regardless of whether a commercial relationship exists with that operator.
Liam does not accept free credits, sponsored accounts, or promotional arrangements that could compromise honest testing.
Reviews are updated regularly. If a casino's quality drops after initial review, its score is revised accordingly.

Our goal is simple: to help New Zealand players make informed decisions with confidence. If a site is not good enough for Liam to recommend to a friend, it will not receive a recommendation here.

Questions About Our Methodology?

If you have questions about how a specific casino was rated, or if you believe a score should be reviewed based on new information, you are welcome to reach out directly through our contact page. We take reader feedback seriously and review all substantiated concerns.

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