Lead writer
Ethan Williams
Ethan Williams is a lead writer at CasinoRank who covers online casinos for players in the United Kingdom. He writes reviews, comparisons and guides, with a focus on bonus terms, payment methods and the licence checks British players should run before they deposit.
His starting point for any casino is the UK Gambling Commission licence: whether it is on the public register, which trading names and domains it covers, and what that means for GAMSTOP, ID checks and bonus rules. He then looks at the payment methods British players use most, from debit cards and PayPal to Trustly, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Outside work he plays strategy board games and chess, walks the British countryside and takes landscape photographs.
How Ethan works
How Ethan reviews a casino for UK players
Ethan checks the UK licence first, on the Gambling Commission's public register, and only then reads the offer. A casino without a current UK licence cannot legally take British players, however good its bonus looks.
He then reads the cashier and the terms side by side: which methods pay out as well as pay in, what the withdrawal rules say, and whether the welcome offer keeps to the 10x wagering cap.
What they check
- UK licence and domain on the public register
- Payment methods that work both ways
- Bonus wagering within the 10x cap
- Deposit limits and GAMSTOP in the account
Questions for Ethan
What do you check first at a casino for UK players?
The licence. I search the casino's account number and domain on the Gambling Commission's public register. If the domain is not listed under a current licence, I stop there.
Which payment methods matter most in the UK?
Debit cards, PayPal and Trustly, followed by Apple Pay and Google Pay. Credit cards cannot be used for gambling in Great Britain, so a casino that pushes them is a warning sign.
Have the 2026 bonus rules changed your reviews?
Yes. Since 19 January 2026 wagering is capped at 10 times, so I spend less time on the multiple and more on the time limit, the maximum bet and which games count.
Do you play at the casinos you review?
Our reviews are built from what each casino states and what can be checked. When a review reports a deposit or withdrawal test, it gives the date and the method.
