Last updated: May 2026 — Lachlan McAllister, Guitarcheck
At Guitarcheck, every review published on guitarcheck.info is the result of real, hands-on testing carried out by site owner and lead reviewer Lachlan McAllister. Before a single word is written about any online pokies site available to Australian players, Lachlan personally registers an account, makes a real-money deposit, claims available bonuses, plays a range of pokies titles, tests the support team, and processes a withdrawal. No review is based on secondhand information, operator-supplied material, or automated scoring tools.
This page explains exactly how that process works, what criteria we measure, how much each factor contributes to a site's final score, and how Guitarcheck maintains editorial independence from the operators we review.
Lachlan McAllister follows a structured, repeatable methodology for every casino reviewed on Guitarcheck. The steps below are completed in order before any rating is assigned.
The first check is always legal legitimacy. Lachlan verifies the operator's gambling licence directly with the issuing authority — typically Curaçao eGaming, the Malta Gaming Authority, or another recognised body. Licence numbers are cross-referenced on official regulator websites, not taken at face value from the casino's own footer.
A new player account is created using genuine personal details. This tests how smooth the sign-up process is, how quickly KYC (Know Your Customer) checks are processed, and whether the site handles player data responsibly.
Lachlan deposits real money using methods commonly available to Australian players, including Visa, Mastercard, PayID, POLi, and popular e-wallets where accepted. Processing speed, fees, and minimum deposit thresholds are all recorded.
All listed welcome offers and ongoing promotions are claimed and their terms read in full. Wagering requirements, game contribution rates, time limits, and maximum bet restrictions are examined to determine genuine value for Australian pokies players.
A cross-section of pokies titles is played across multiple software providers. This covers popular Aussie favourites as well as newer releases, testing load times, mobile performance, Return to Player (RTP) transparency, and overall gameplay quality.
Support is contacted via every available channel — live chat, email, and phone where offered — at different times of day. Response speed, accuracy of answers, and professionalism are all assessed.
A withdrawal is requested and the full process is timed. Any documentation requests, delays, or complications are noted. Payout speed is one of the most important factors for Australian players and is weighted accordingly.
Once all seven steps are complete, Lachlan scores each site across six core categories. Each category carries a specific weighting that reflects how much it matters to a typical Australian online pokies player in 2026.
| Category | Weighting | What We Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Valid gambling licence, SSL encryption, responsible gambling tools, fair terms |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Welcome offer value, wagering requirements, ongoing promos, loyalty rewards |
| Game Selection | 20% | Number of pokies titles, software providers, RTP availability, new releases |
| Payment Methods | 15% | AU-friendly options, deposit and withdrawal speeds, fees, payout limits |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability hours, response times, quality of assistance across all channels |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Browser compatibility, dedicated app quality, load speed, touch-screen usability |
Each category is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents a seriously poor experience and 10 represents best-in-class performance. Category scores are multiplied by their respective weightings and added together to produce a final score out of 10. A site scoring 8.5 or above is considered excellent and earns a Guitarcheck Recommended badge. Scores between 7.0 and 8.4 indicate a solid, above-average option. Sites scoring below 6.0 are flagged with a clear warning and are not recommended to Australian players.
Independence is the foundation of everything published on guitarcheck.info. Lachlan McAllister adheres to the following editorial standards to ensure that no operator can influence a review outcome:
Lachlan McAllister is an Australian gambling enthusiast and the sole author behind Guitarcheck. With years of firsthand experience playing online pokies across dozens of platforms, Lachlan built guitarcheck.info to give Australian players straightforward, jargon-free guidance based on genuine testing rather than marketing copy. Every rating on this site reflects real deposits, real gameplay, and real withdrawal experiences — nothing more, nothing less.