The grade is a stopwatch

The letter on each scorecard comes from a single figure: hours from filing a withdrawal to funds arriving. A+ is twenty-four hours or less, A runs to thirty-four, B to fifty, and C is anything above that. We file at the redemption floor rather than waiting for a comfortable balance, because the first withdrawal is where a new player either trusts an operator or does not.

The four figures on every card

• Welcome credited. The full advertised package, exactly as it arrived, including the Gold Coin element for context.
• Redeemable portion. The part that can convert. This is the only value figure we treat as real.
• Redemption floor. The operator minimum. The distance between this and the redeemable portion is the true cost of the welcome.
• Free clearance. Measured days on free routes to close that distance. Never estimated from a promotions page.

Why the dial and the letter disagree

The dial holds a review score out of five, and it covers everything a grade cannot: game quality, interface, support responsiveness, how honestly the promotions are written. A site can be a pleasure to use and settle slowly. Pickem Casino scores 4.4 and grades C. Stake.us scores 4.8 and grades A+. Presenting one number would bury whichever fact you happened to need.

Commercial relationships

Some outbound links earn a commission. Settlement times are recorded before any link exists and are never revised afterwards, which is why several commercial partners carry C grades on this site. Grades are not available for purchase and never have been.

Re-testing

Every scorecard is rebuilt each sweep and the month is printed at the top of the homepage. Packages and floors change without notice, so an older grade is a historical record rather than current advice.