Last updated: May 2026 — Lachlan Mercer, Quadrant
Every casino review published on Quadrant is the result of a thorough, hands-on evaluation process carried out by site founder and lead reviewer Lachlan Mercer. This page explains exactly how we assess online pokies sites available to Australian players, what criteria we measure, and how we arrive at a final score. We believe Australian players deserve complete transparency about where our ratings come from.
Lachlan Mercer personally tests every online casino and pokies site featured on quadrant.cc before any review is written or any score is assigned. This is not a process that is outsourced, automated, or delegated to anonymous contributors. Lachlan has spent years playing real-money pokies across Australian-facing casino platforms, developing a deep understanding of what separates a trustworthy operator from a poor one. Each site is tested using real accounts, real deposits, and real withdrawal requests wherever practically possible, ensuring that the experience described in our reviews reflects what an actual Australian player would encounter.
When Lachlan begins evaluating a new site, he follows a structured process to ensure nothing is overlooked:
Each casino is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents the worst possible experience and 10 represents an outstanding operator with no notable weaknesses. The final score is a weighted average calculated across six key categories:
| Category | Weighting | What We Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Valid regulatory licence, SSL encryption, responsible gambling tools, fair terms |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Welcome offer value, free spins availability, wagering requirements, ongoing promotions |
| Game Selection | 20% | Number and variety of pokies, software providers, jackpot titles, live dealer options |
| Payment Methods | 15% | AUD support, deposit and withdrawal options, processing speeds, transaction limits |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability, response times, quality of assistance, contact channel variety |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Mobile browser performance, dedicated app availability, game compatibility on iOS and Android |
Scores of 9 to 10 are reserved for exceptional operators that excel across nearly every category. A score of 7 to 8 indicates a solid, reliable casino with only minor drawbacks. Scores in the 5 to 6 range suggest an average experience where improvements are needed. Anything below 5 reflects significant concerns, and sites scoring below 4 are typically not recommended to Australian players at all. We publish low-scoring reviews when warranted because we believe players benefit from knowing which sites to avoid.
Quadrant earns revenue through affiliate commissions when readers sign up to a recommended casino via our links. We are transparent about this arrangement. However, our editorial process operates completely independently of commercial relationships. No operator can pay to improve their score, request changes to a published review, or prevent a negative rating from being published. Lachlan Mercer retains full editorial control over every review and rating on this site. Casinos are evaluated solely on the merits of the player experience. If a site we previously recommended declines in quality, we update the score accordingly. Our loyalty is to Australian players, not to casino operators.
The online casino landscape changes frequently. Lachlan revisits published reviews on a regular basis throughout 2026 to account for changes in licensing status, bonus terms, game libraries, and payment processing. Each review displays a last-updated date so readers always know how current the information is.