Last updated: June 2026 — Sophie Hargraves, Deltamoon
At Deltamoon, every online pokie site reviewed on deltamoon.org goes through a rigorous, structured evaluation process before a single rating is published. This page explains exactly how Sophie Hargraves, the author and owner of Deltamoon, assesses each real money casino site available to Australian players in 2026. There are no shortcuts, no rubber-stamping, and no operator influence. What you read here is what gets done, every single time.
Sophie Hargraves personally tests each site before any review is written or score is assigned. This means creating a real player account, making actual deposits using payment methods available in Australia, claiming welcome bonuses, playing real money pokies, and contacting customer support as a genuine user would. No review at Deltamoon is written from a press kit or an operator briefing. Every conclusion is drawn from direct, first-hand experience.
Sophie brings years of experience reviewing online gambling products for the Australian market, with a deep understanding of local player expectations, Australian consumer protection standards, and the technical landscape of real money pokie platforms.
Before committing to a full review, each site is screened for basic legitimacy. Sites that display no verifiable licensing information, have a history of confirmed player complaints, or show obvious red flags are removed from consideration immediately and are not reviewed on Deltamoon.
Sophie registers a genuine player account using Australian credentials. The registration process itself is evaluated for clarity, speed, and the reasonableness of identity verification requirements under Australian anti-money laundering standards.
A real deposit is made using payment methods commonly used by Australian players, including credit cards, bank transfer, and local e-wallet options. Withdrawal requests are submitted and the actual processing time is recorded. Any fees or unexpected conditions are noted.
Welcome bonuses and free spins offers are claimed as a standard new player would. The wagering requirements, game restrictions, time limits, and maximum withdrawal caps are all read carefully and tested in practice, not just summarised from the terms and conditions page.
The pokie library is explored across multiple categories including classic slots, video pokies, jackpot games, and any live dealer options. Load times, mobile compatibility, game variety, and the presence of titles from reputable software providers are all assessed.
Sophie contacts support through all available channels — live chat, email, and phone where applicable — to measure response times, the accuracy of answers given, and the overall quality of the support experience.
The site is accessed on a mobile device to evaluate layout, navigation, game performance, and whether all account functions are fully accessible without needing a desktop.
Scores are calculated using the weighted criteria below and a final review is written based solely on the findings from steps one through seven.
Each site is scored out of 10 across six categories. The final overall score is a weighted average based on the importance of each factor to Australian real money pokie players.
| Rating Category | Weighting | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Valid gambling licence, responsible gambling tools, data encryption, and player fund protection |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Bonus value, wagering requirements, fairness of terms, ongoing promotions, and free spins offers |
| Game Selection | 20% | Number and variety of pokies, software providers, jackpot games, and RTP transparency |
| Payment Methods | 15% | Deposit and withdrawal options available to Australians, processing times, fees, and payout reliability |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability, response speed, quality of answers, and communication channels offered |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Mobile browser and app performance, navigation, game availability, and account management |
All sites at Deltamoon are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 represents an exceptional, near-flawless player experience and 1 represents a site that fails across multiple critical areas. The practical breakdown is as follows:
Deltamoon operates independently of all online casino operators. Sophie Hargraves receives no payment, preferential treatment, or incentives from any site in exchange for a review, a rating, or a recommendation. Deltamoon may earn commission through affiliate referral links, which is a standard and transparent practice in the online review industry. However, this commercial arrangement has no influence over the scores assigned or the content written. Sites that pay higher commission rates do not receive higher scores. Sites that perform poorly in testing receive poor scores regardless of any commercial relationship.
Every score can be revisited. If a casino changes its terms, reduces its payment reliability, or draws verified player complaints after a review is published, Deltamoon will update or revise that review to reflect the current reality. Accuracy for Australian players is always the priority.
If you have questions about how a specific site was rated, or if you believe a score should be reconsidered based on your own experience, you are welcome to reach out through the contact page at deltamoon.org. Player feedback is taken seriously and can contribute to future review updates.