Last updated: June 2026 — Lachlan Drummond, Dealo
At Dealo, every casino review you read on dealo.com.au is built on a foundation of real, hands-on testing. Site owner and lead reviewer Lachlan Drummond personally visits, registers at, deposits into, and tests every PayID pokies casino before a single word is written. No site receives a rating based on operator submissions, press releases, or third-party claims. This page explains exactly how that process works, what criteria we measure, and how we keep our scores honest and independent.
Australian players searching for PayID-friendly pokies casinos deserve more than a copy-and-paste bonus list. The AU online gambling market moves fast, and casinos that looked great in 2024 may have changed their withdrawal policies, cut their game libraries, or quietly tightened their bonus terms by 2026. That is why Lachlan Drummond revisits and re-tests rated sites on a rolling schedule, updating scores whenever material changes are detected.
Before creating an account, Lachlan verifies the casino's licensing status, checks the regulatory body's public register, and reviews the operator's terms and conditions in full. Any site that cannot demonstrate a credible licence is removed from consideration immediately.
Lachlan registers a real player account using standard Australian credentials. He documents how long the sign-up process takes, what identity documents are requested, and how smoothly the KYC verification runs.
A real deposit is made via PayID to confirm the payment method works as advertised. Lachlan records how long the funds take to arrive in the casino wallet and whether any fees are applied.
A selection of pokies titles is played using real funds. Lachlan checks load times, mobile rendering, software provider variety, and whether game filters and search tools actually work.
Any welcome bonus or ongoing promotion is claimed and the wagering requirements are tested against real gameplay. Fine print — including game contribution rates, maximum bet rules, and expiry windows — is read in full and summarised for readers.
A withdrawal is requested to confirm same-day or fast-payout claims. The actual time from request to funds received in a bank account is recorded.
Lachlan contacts support via live chat and at least one other channel, asking both a general question and a specific account query, then scores the response quality and speed.
All data gathered across the seven steps above is fed into the weighted scoring system described below. The final score is calculated, the review is written, and a publication date is stamped on the page.
Each casino is scored out of 10 in six categories. Those category scores are multiplied by their respective weightings and combined to produce an overall score out of 10.
| Category | Weighting | What We Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | Valid licence, SSL encryption, responsible gambling tools, fair terms |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Bonus value, wagering requirements, transparency, ongoing offers |
| Game Selection | 20% | Total titles, pokies variety, software providers, demo availability |
| Payment Methods | 15% | PayID availability, withdrawal speed, limits, fees |
| Customer Support | 10% | Response time, accuracy, available channels, hours of operation |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Browser performance, app quality, touch navigation, load speed |
All final scores appear as a number out of 10. Here is how to read those scores:
Independence is the cornerstone of everything published on dealo.com.au. Here is how we protect it:
If you have questions about how a specific casino was rated, or if you believe information in a review is inaccurate, you can reach Lachlan Drummond directly through the contact page at dealo.com.au. Reader feedback is taken seriously and has led to score revisions in the past.