CasinoHawks Editorial Guidelines

Our Mission: Clear, Honest Guidance for UK Players

At CasinoHawks, our mission is to provide clear, honest, and accurate casino content to help UK readers navigate the world of online casinos. Whether you’re looking for in-depth reviews, trusted information, or the latest industry updates, our editorial principles ensure everything we publish meets the highest standards for transparency, reliability, and player-focused guidance.  

What We Cover: Trusted UK Casino Insights

We at CasinoHawks are a leading UK-focused casino affiliate and review site. Since 2012, we have been committed to delivering accurate, detailed content for British players, featuring only casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Alongside our in-depth casino reviews, you will find slot breakdowns, payment and game provider insights, plus the latest industry news.

While we do not provide financial or legal advice, we are committed to flagging any red flags we uncover in the casinos we review and bringing you accurate, up-to-date information every step of the way. Importantly, our news coverage and publishing decisions are entirely independent: affiliate partners and commercial teams have no influence over what we report. We do not trade coverage for consideration, whether in the form of money, access, or any other benefits.

Editorial Independence & Integrity

Our reviews are written with complete editorial independence. CasinoHawks maintains a strict firewall between our editorial and commercial teams, meaning no casino can buy a higher score. While casinos can pay for increased visibility or preferred placement on our site, these payments never affect our editorial content, ratings, or reviews.

We also do not accept third-party advertising, including ad networks, pop-ups, or sidebar ads. It’s important to note that all editorial content is wholly independent of commercial objectives, ensuring that our reviews and news coverage are unbiased and focused solely on providing accurate, trustworthy information. 

To protect our integrity, our team does not accept gifts, hospitality, or complimentary offers from operators that could influence our reviews. Every recommendation is based solely on the casino’s merits. We also have the QMRA stamp of approval. The Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) certification is provided to affiliates to confirm they operate legally and responsibly. Backed by a team of legal specialists, the certification is granted after a series of comprehensive compliance checks.

Monetisation & Affiliate Disclosure

CasinoHawks is entirely free for players. We keep the site running by partnering with a carefully selected group of licensed iGaming operators. If you register or deposit via one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission, which comes at no extra cost to you.

Our reviews and rankings are written with editorial independence at the core. Casinos are assessed on their own merits, not on commercial agreements. Where affiliate links are included, we make this clear with transparent disclosures throughout our content.

Our Expert Review Methodology

In tandem with our team of industry experts, we have developed a rigorous six-pillar methodology to thoroughly rate casino brands.

Our comprehensive process evaluates each casino based on Trust & Safety, Bonus Terms & Promotions, Payments, Games, Customer Support, and Popularity. This independent and reliable approach ensures our ratings reflect the most critical aspects of the player experience. You can find our full methodology and a record of any updates on our How We Rate Casinos page.

Author Qualifications & Our Reviewers

All of our content is created by CasinoHawks’ in-house team of experienced casino writers and iGaming analysts. Each reviewer brings extensive industry knowledge and hands-on expertise, with roles spanning subject-matter specialists, compliance reviewers, and safer-gambling experts.

To ensure accuracy and player safety, our team undergoes regular training in responsible gambling standards, AML practices, payment security, and regulatory updates. We also attend key iGaming conferences to stay current on the industry’s latest developments.

For full transparency, you can meet our authors and review their credentials on our Meet The Team page.

Sourcing & Fact-checking Standards

To make comparisons easier, we apply consistent value metrics to how we review casinos. These include security and licensing, bonus terms, payments, games, user experience, and customer service. This structured approach gives you an honest view of what you can expect from a casino.  

When we review a casino, we don’t just take their word for it. Our expert team verifies key details against trusted, independent sources. This includes:

• Regulators: We confirm licensing and security information directly with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). 
• Official operator documents: Bonus terms, payment policies, and game rules are checked against the operator’s published terms.
• Audited test labs: Where possible, we reference certification from eCOGRA, GLI, or other recognised testing agencies.
• Reputable NGOs: For safer gambling standards, we turn to trusted organisations such as GamCare and the NHS.

Upholding Responsible Gambling Standards

At CasinoHawks, player safety comes first. Our content is designed to help you make informed, responsible choices, including understanding wagering requirements, using responsible gambling tools, and comparing welcome offers.

Every review highlights potential risks and includes clear warnings where needed. We also provide links to support organisations and helplines, such as GamCare, GAMSTOP, and the NHS Gambling Support, so help is always within reach. Our goal is simple: keep gambling entertaining, safe, and under your control.

Keeping our Content Accurate and Up To Date

We want our reviews to be as accurate and helpful to you as possible. Whenever a casino changes, like adding new bonuses, updating terms, or introducing new games, we make sure we update our reviews. We also revisit casinos regularly to keep the information fresh and reliable.

Each page shows when it was last updated, so you can see how current the content is at a glance. Major changes, such as licensing updates, new payment options, or changes in ownership, are updated immediately, while routine checks happen every few months.

If you spot something that doesn’t look right, you can let our Editor-in-Chief, Lorena Barbeitos, know by emailing her at [email protected]. We aim to acknowledge all reports quickly and make corrections depending on their urgency. Whenever we make a correction, we add a note with a timestamp, and we keep a public corrections log to stay transparent.

Our Editorial Workflow 

At CasinoHawks, every review follows a strict editorial workflow to ensure accuracy, reliability, and player safety. Content is created by a writer, then reviewed by a fact-checker and editor, followed by a responsible gambling and compliance check before publication.

Before going live, we run a thorough pre-publish checklist: verifying licences, parsing bonus terms, testing payment options, and ensuring support helplines are included.

Post-publication, we continuously monitor content for changes in operator terms, regulatory updates, and user feedback, so our reviews remain up-to-date and trustworthy.

AI & Automation Policy

At CasinoHawks, AI and automation tools are used only to assist our human authors in creating outlines or supporting code utilities. Our team fully writes, edits, and fact-checks every aspect of our content, and we take great pride in this.

We do not use AI to provide unverified medical, legal, or gambling advice, nor do we ever publish content automatically without human review. Every piece of content you see on the site is wholly human-edited, with sources verified for accuracy, ensuring our reviews remain trustworthy and reliable.

Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility

At CasinoHawks, we are committed to making our content accessible and inclusive for all players. We use inclusive language and keep our writing clear, aiming for a plain-English reading level to ensure everyone can understand our reviews.

We also prioritise accessibility across the site, including high-contrast design, descriptive alt text for images, and full keyboard navigation support.

Our imagery policy reflects our values: we avoid content that glamorises risky behaviour or harm, focusing instead on clear, responsible depictions of gambling.

Legal & Compliance Notes

CasinoHawks operates in full compliance with UK law and iGaming regulations, including the UKGC’s LCCP and the CAP Code (Section 16: Gambling) as enforced by ASA. All users must be 18 or over and follow local gambling restrictions. We promote only licensed casinos, and our reviews are for informational purposes only—they do not constitute financial, legal, or gambling advice.

We are transparent about affiliate partnerships: any commissions we may earn do not influence our editorial independence. The site also includes clear guidance on responsible gambling and links to support organisations. Users can review our Privacy & Cookies Policy, and Terms & Conditions for details on data protection and site usage.

Ownership

CasinoHawks is owned and operated by Game Lounge Ltd., a Maltese company with its corporate office located at Floor 5N, Spinola Park, Triq Mikiel Ang Borg, San Ġiljan, SPK 1000, Malta. Game Lounge Ltd. is part of the Cherry group (a Swedish gaming group). For more information, head over to our About Us page.

Author

Lorena Barbeitos

Editor-in-Chief

Lorena is the central force guiding the quality and direction of all CasinoHawks content, a role she has expertly filled after more than 13 years in iGaming. She guides a dedicated team of editors and directs the editorial strategy, drawing on her deep experience in highly regulated markets.

[email protected]