A data-driven casino-safety scorer and free complaint mediator that says ratings aren't for sale, but it earns affiliate commissions from the same casinos it ranks and the disclosure of that is thin on its headline pages.
What it's really for A casino-rating and dispute-resolution site; the Safety Index is criteria-based, with a free complaint service.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about its 'Safety Index' casino ratings, not everything the site does.
High Scoring Confidence Checked against primary sources. We are confident in the facts and the grade here.
Casino Guru is an affiliate business (roughly €700K/month revenue, ~90% gross margin) that earns commissions when players sign up at casinos via its links; it states the Safety Index is "NOT for sale" and that list position "can't just be bought," so by its own disclosure payment is meant not to buy placement.
Source →- Operating since
- 2016 (10 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- Rates online casinos with a proprietary multi-factor "Safety Index" and runs a free Complaint Resolution Center, monetizing through affiliate commissions when players sign up via its links.
- What they do
- Casino Guru reviews online casinos against 20+ safety/fairness factors (T&Cs, licensing, casino size, complaint history) to produce a Safety Index rating, and mediates player-versus-casino disputes through a free complaints center.
- What to watch for
- It doesn't review casinos at arm's length from its own wallet — it collects affiliate commissions from many of the operators it rates, and by its own pages that money relationship isn't disclosed prominently next to the rankings.
- Composite score
- 2.60 / 5.00 → grade C+
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- Casino Guru's About page states the Safety Index 'is not for sale' and that ratings are 'not influenced by anything other than the best judgement, knowledge and analytical skills of our casino review team,' while not disclosing affiliate commissions on that page. Source: Casino Guru – About us →
- Casino Guru reports revenue of over €700K per month with a ~90% gross margin operating as a casino 'guide' (affiliate) business founded by Jan Kovac, earning commissions when players sign up at casinos through its platform. Source: Starter Story – Casino Guru →
- Casino Guru's independent, free Complaint Resolution Center has returned over $60 million to players and published more than 65,000 complaints, mediating disputes between players and online casinos. Source: Yogonet International →