Editorial Policy · v3.0

How we actually
do the work

This document is the contract between FreeCredit Casinos and our readers. It states what we will do, what we won't do, how we get paid, and what happens when we make mistakes. Last full review: 26 May 2026.

1. Editorial independence

FreeCredit Casinos is editorially independent. No casino operator, payment processor, marketing affiliate, or commercial partner has the right to influence our rankings, ratings, removal decisions, or published opinions. This is not a polite aspiration — it is enforced by three structural choices:

  • No paid placement on the Top 10 list. Ranking is determined solely by our 100-point scoring formula. We have turned down RM-denominated offers from at least four operators since launch.
  • Affiliate links are clearly labelled. Every outbound link to an operator carries a rel="sponsored" attribute. We disclose the commercial relationship in our footer and in every brand review.
  • Editor's role separation. Marcus Tay (Editor-in-Chief) makes ranking decisions. He has no involvement in negotiating commercial terms with operators — that is handled by an external affiliate manager who cannot edit content.

2. 30-day testing methodology

No brand appears on our list without passing the full six-stage evaluation over a minimum 30-day testing window. Each stage is logged with timestamps, screenshots, and outcome notes archived in our internal review tracker.

Stage 1 · Onboarding

Live registration with real Malaysian IC, mobile OTP, and e-wallet link. We time every step and document any unusual data requests.

Stage 2 · Deposit cycle

RM100 → RM500 → RM2,000 across FPX, Touch 'n Go, DuitNow, GrabPay. Failure rates and surprise fees noted.

Stage 3 · Bonus audit

Every wagering rule, game contribution, max-bet cap, and excluded provider read line by line and recorded.

Stage 4 · Cashout proof

The decisive stage. We attempt at three tiers: RM100, RM500, RM2,000+. Latency, KYC friction, and excuses logged.

Stage 5 · Support stress

3am MYT live chat test in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mandarin. Response time and escalation handling scored.

Stage 6 · Ongoing watch

30-day re-test cycle thereafter. T&C changes, withdrawn payment methods, and external complaints tracked.

3. The 100-point scoring formula

Final brand scores are weighted across five categories. Each is independently scored 0–10 by the testing reviewer, then multiplied by category weight. Total possible: 100 points. Brands below 70 do not qualify for the Top 10.

Category
What it measures
Weight
Trust & licensing
Verifiable licence, RNG audit, complaint history, ownership transparency, dispute-resolution track record.
30
Withdrawal reliability
Cashout latency, KYC friction at withdrawal, denial rate at RM2,000+, processor consistency.
25
Bonus fairness
Wagering multiplier, max-bet cap during wagering, game contribution clarity, max-win cap, time limit.
20
Game library
Provider count, RTP transparency, mobile compatibility, eligibility breadth during bonus play.
15
Support & UX
Live chat availability, language coverage (EN/MS/ZH), app stability, escalation handling.
10

Important: Trust & licensing carries 30% weight not because it's the easiest to measure but because it correlates most strongly with the worst player outcomes. A brand can have brilliant UX and a 1× wagering bonus and still be dangerous if it operates under a counterfeit licence.

4. Editorial process

Every published review and ranking change moves through four stages. The full chain is logged with author, reviewer, fact-checker, and timestamp.

  1. Brief. Marcus Tay assigns the brand to a reviewer (currently Aaron Lim for all reviews) with scope, deadline, and any specific concerns to investigate.
  2. Test & draft. Reviewer completes the 30-day test cycle, drafts the review, and submits scoring matrix with evidence files attached.
  3. Fact-check. Dr. Rachel Tan independently verifies every numerical claim, T&C citation, and brand description against operator sources. Approval, revision, or rejection.
  4. Editor approval & publish. Marcus Tay reviews the fact-checked draft, applies the scoring rubric to determine final rank position, and publishes. Schema markup auto-generated from structured data.

5. Fact-checking

Independent fact-checking is non-negotiable. Dr. Rachel Tan operates as an external contractor with explicit authority to reject any claim that cannot be verified against an operator source or our own test evidence. She has rejected 41 drafts since March 2024; each rejection is logged and the revised draft must address every flagged item before re-submission.

Common rejection categories: unverified bonus amounts, withdrawal times not supported by our test logs, licence numbers we cannot independently confirm, and competitive claims (e.g. "fastest in Malaysia") without comparative data.

6. Commercial disclosures

FreeCredit Casinos generates revenue from four sources. We disclose all of them, in approximate revenue contribution order, so readers can assess the structural incentives at play.

Affiliate commissions

~78% of revenue. When a reader clicks through to a listed operator and registers, we receive a one-time CPA payment (typically RM80–RM400) or a revenue share of operator margin. Commission rates do not affect ranking.

Sponsored content

~12% of revenue. Operators occasionally pay for a dedicated review or guide. These are clearly labelled "Sponsored" and segregated from the editorial Top 10. We retain editorial control over wording.

Display advertising

~7% of revenue. Programmatic display via a single ad network (no popups, no popunders, no auto-play video). Excluded from brand review pages to avoid implicit endorsement.

Press & speaking

~3% of revenue. Marcus Tay's columns for The Edge Malaysia and Nikkei Asia, and occasional conference speaking. Personal income, fully separated from FreeCredit Casinos operating accounts.

7. Brands we've removed

Every brand we remove from the Top 10 gets a dated entry below with the reason. We do not delete or revise these entries — they are part of our permanent public record.

Brand
Reason for removal
Date
Maxim88
Repeated delayed withdrawals at RM2,000+ tier; support evasion confirmed in 3 successive test cycles.
2026-05-12
996Bet
Unannounced wagering multiplier increase (3× → 8×) without grandfathering existing bonus claims.
2026-04-22
EasyWin88
Licence number on landing page could not be verified with issuing authority.
2026-04-04
RajaCuci
Operator changed corporate ownership; new entity refused to honour pre-existing player balances.
2026-03-18
SyabasJack
Multiple confirmed reader complaints about KYC manipulation at cashout.
2026-02-27
King-Joker
Withdrawal cap silently reduced from RM5,000 to RM500 without notice.
2026-02-09
CashKing4D
RNG audit certificate displayed on site found to be fabricated.
2026-01-20
9Top888
Operator went dark; player funds inaccessible. Player advisory published.
2025-12-14
RM3kFree
Advertised "RM3,000 free credit" found to be conditional on RM5,000 deposit (deceptive).
2025-11-30
Cuci999Net
Cashout latency exceeded 72 hours in repeated tests; live chat unstaffed overnight.
2025-10-22
88Tepi
Removed payment-method disclosure mid-bonus-cycle; redirected withdrawals to Telegram support.
2025-09-15
JackpotCity-MY
Operator using JackpotCity trade dress without authorisation from real JackpotCity Group.
2025-08-04
SureKaya
Bonus T&Cs explicitly excluded Malaysians from withdrawal eligibility (footnote disclosure only).
2025-06-30
PG-Empire
Site impersonating PG Soft as official outlet; trademark issue confirmed.
2025-05-12

8. Corrections log

Every published error gets a permanent dated correction below. We do not silently amend articles. Significant factual changes also trigger an inline correction notice on the affected page.

2026-05-18 Material

BK8 review: Original article stated wagering requirement of 15× on the welcome bonus. Correct figure is 12×. Verified against operator T&Cs dated 14 May 2026. Article updated and reviewer scoring matrix recomputed (no rank change).

2026-04-30 Minor

Winbox review: Listed Maybank as a supported FPX bank. Correct list excludes Maybank Premier. Updated payment-method table.

2026-03-22 Material

Comparison table on homepage: Atas withdrawal time previously displayed as "5–10 min" — correct figure based on May 2026 re-test is "10–18 min". Comparison table and brand page updated; rank shifted from #7 to #9.

2026-02-14 Minor

"How to claim" guide: Step 4 incorrectly referenced "Boost Wallet" — corrected to "Boost eWallet" (the consumer product name).

2026-01-26 Material

AiPlay review: Stated operator was founded in 2020 — correct year is 2018 (per Companies Commission of Malaysia records cross-referenced with operator press release). About-section and Person schema updated.

9. Reader complaints

If you've had a problem with a brand we list, please tell us. Reader complaints are one of the strongest signals we use to demote or remove brands — they have triggered at least 7 of the 14 removals on our list above.

What we will do with your complaint:

  • Acknowledge within 24 hours. We confirm receipt and assign a case number.
  • Investigate within 7 days. We contact the operator on your behalf and request a written explanation. Most operators respond.
  • Publish if material. If we find a systemic issue affecting other readers, we publish the case (with your permission and identifying details removed) in our removed-brands list or a player advisory.
  • Refer if applicable. For complaints involving criminal fraud, we provide guidance on reporting to the relevant authority (PDRM cybercrime unit, the operator's licensing authority, or in some cases CSSF Curaçao).

Submit complaints via complaints@freecreditcasinos.net or through our contact form.

10. Contact this policy

Editorial Policy questions, suggestions, or challenges should go to marcus@freecreditcasinos.net. I read every message personally and respond within 48 hours on business days. If you disagree with something in this document, please tell me — public criticism makes the policy stronger.

Document version: 3.0 · Approved by: Marcus Tay Wei Liang · Last review: 26 May 2026 · Next scheduled review: 26 August 2026