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This is the published methodology used by SafeGamingSites’ Trust, Safety & Compliance Editor to audit operator licensing, KYC and AML obligations, and responsible gambling integration across every Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) page we publish. This methodology applies as the compliance review layer on every casino review on the site — meaning every Marcus, Aisha, Daniel, Hannah, and Sophia review is reviewed against the framework below before publication.
Why this layer exists
Online gambling is YMYL. The Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines hold gambling content to the same standard as medical and financial content — meaning every page that influences a real-money decision must demonstrate accountability, accuracy, and responsible-use signals. The SGS compliance review layer exists to ensure no published page falls below that standard.
The six compliance audit checks
Check 1: Licence registry verification
We verify the operator’s claimed gaming licence against the publicly accessible regulator registry:
- Curaçao operators: Verified against the Curaçao eGaming public registry. Licence number, registered operator entity, and validity period are documented.
- Anjouan operators: Verified against the Anjouan Gaming Authority registry.
- Costa Rica operators: Verified against the Costa Rica gaming list (which has its own particularities — Costa Rica does not issue gaming licences in the traditional sense but rather registers business operations).
- MGA/UKGC operators: Verified against the Malta Gaming Authority public registry or the UK Gambling Commission licence search.
Operators claiming a licence we cannot verify in a public registry receive a Security score floor and a prominent warning at the top of every page covering them.
Check 2: KYC framework disclosure
We confirm the operator publicly discloses its KYC framework — what documents are required, when verification triggers, and how identity data is handled. Operators that promise “anonymous play” without specifying the KYC trigger thresholds are flagged for opacity.
Check 3: AML safeguards
We audit the operator’s anti-money laundering framework. Licensed operators are required to implement reasonable AML safeguards. We don’t independently audit the technical implementation, but we verify the operator publicly acknowledges its AML obligations.
Check 4: Responsible gambling integration
This is the most rigorous element of the compliance review. We verify each YMYL page covering an operator integrates responsible gambling resources appropriate to the page’s target audience:
- Singapore pages must integrate the Singapore National Council on Problem Gambling helpline (1800-6-668-668).
- Malaysia pages must integrate Befrienders Malaysia (03-7956-8145) or other appropriate local gambling support resources.
- Global / non-region pages integrate Gambling Therapy (gamblingtherapy.org), GamCare, or BeGambleAware as appropriate.
Pages failing to integrate these resources are returned to the author for revision before publication.
Check 5: Self-exclusion and limit-setting verifiable
We verify the operator’s self-exclusion and limit-setting tools are accessible in account settings without requiring support contact. Operators that bury self-exclusion behind a support ticket workflow receive a clear deduction in the Trust dimension.
Check 6: Dispute resolution pathway clarity
We verify the operator publishes a clear dispute resolution process — typically internal escalation, then licence regulator, then independent alternative dispute resolution body (ADR). Operators without published dispute resolution paths are flagged.
Compliance review on every YMYL page
Every casino review, payment guide, bonus guide, and operator-touching page on SGS goes through the compliance review layer before publication. The compliance review is documented in the page’s editorial workflow record and surfaced in the public byline: “Compliance reviewed by Dr. Adrian Foo.”
Trust, Safety & Compliance Editor credentials
The compliance review layer is led by our Trust, Safety & Compliance Editor — Dr. Adrian Foo — who holds a PhD in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore, an LL.B. from a UK university, and has been called to the Bar of England and Wales (non-practising). His full profile is available at /author/adrian-foo.
Editorial accountability
If a published page on SGS contains a compliance error — wrong licence number, missing responsible gambling resource, incorrect KYC threshold — email marketing@safegamingsites.com. Compliance corrections are treated as the highest priority class.
If you or someone you know is experiencing gambling-related harm, please contact: Singapore NCPG 1800-6-668-668 · Malaysia Befrienders 03-7956-8145 · Gambling Therapy gamblingtherapy.org.
Last updated: June 2026.
