I started this whole thing back in 2019 because I was sick of seeing Aussie punters getting screwed over by dodgy casino review sites that were basically just glorified ads.
We’re a Perth-based team of casino nerds (yeah, that’s what we are) who actually test the casinos we review. Radical concept, I know.
Our Vision and Mission
Vision: To become Australia’s most trusted source for honest, no-bulls**t online casino reviews.
Mission: We cut through the marketing crap and tell you which casinos are worth your money and which ones you should avoid like a dropbear at a campsite.
Simple as that. No fancy corporate speak, no pretending we’re saving the world. We’re just trying to help Aussies find good casinos and avoid s**t ones.
Our Story: How k9win Casinos Came to Be
Started this back in March 2019 after I quit my job at Better Collective. Had about $8,000 in savings, a laptop, and a kelpie named Kane who kept me company while I built the site.
Named it k9win as a tribute to Kane (K9, get it?). He died in late 2018 and I was pretty devastated. Figured if I was gonna build something, might as well honour the good boy who sat next to me through years of writing casino reviews for other people.
First six months were rough. Sarah (my partner) was basically keeping us afloat while I earned maybe $200 a month from affiliate commissions. Ate a lot of two-minute noodles. Questioned my life choices multiple times.
But slowly, people started finding the site. We ranked for some competitive keywords. Got featured on a few gambling forums. By late 2019, we were making enough to cover rent (barely).
2020 was weird. Lockdowns meant everyone was online, including gamblers. Our traffic doubled. Hired my mate Tom to help with content because I was drowning in casino reviews.
2021: Hit 100,000 monthly visitors. Felt like we’d actually made it. Brought on Lisa to handle customer support emails (we were getting like 50 a day by then).
2022: Got invited to speak at the Australian Gaming Expo about responsible gambling. That was surreal. Also expanded our team to five people.
2023: Launched our casino comparison tools. Started tracking withdrawal speeds in real-time because casinos kept lying about how fast they processed payments.
2024: Branched into New Zealand and Canadian markets. Same approach, different regulations.
2025: Where we are now. Team of seven, still independent, still telling it like it is.
Who We Work For (Spoiler: It’s You)
We work for Aussie punters who are sick of:
- Casino review sites that rank casinos based on commission rates
- Fake “verified player reviews” written by marketing teams
- Bonuses with impossible wagering requirements
- Casinos that take weeks to process withdrawals
- Customer support that disappears after you deposit
Basically, if you’ve ever felt like online casinos were trying to rip you off (because they probably were), we’re here for you.
Our readers are mostly 25-55 year olds who like a punt but don’t want to get taken for a ride. You’re smart enough to know when someone’s bulls**tting you, and you appreciate straight talk.
Our Services: What We Actually Do
Casino Reviews & Testing
We test every casino we review. Not just playing a few spins and calling it a day. I’m talking:
- Depositing real money (usually $100-200)
- Playing various games for hours
- Testing customer support at different times (including 3am on a Sunday)
- Reading the entire terms and conditions (yeah, really)
- Requesting withdrawals to see how long they actually take
- Checking licensing and security measures
Tom once spent 47 hours testing a casino’s customer support just to see how bad it could get. The answer? Very bad.
Payment Method Analysis
We test every payment option available to Aussies:
| Payment Method | Deposit Speed | Withdrawal Speed | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| POLi | Instant | N/A | 8/10 |
| PayID | Instant | 1-24 hours | 9/10 |
| Bitcoin | 10-30 mins | 1-48 hours | 7/10 |
| Bank Transfer | 1-3 days | 2-5 days | 6/10 |
| Credit Card | Instant | Not available | 5/10 |
These are real numbers from our testing, not bulls**t estimates from casino websites.
Bonus Verification
We actually read the terms. Found some absolute pearlers like:
- 70x wagering requirements (you’d need to bet $7,000 to withdraw $100 in bonus money)
- Maximum bet limits of $5 while using bonus funds
- Game restrictions that exclude 95% of slots
- Terms that can be changed “at any time without notice”
When we find this stuff, we call it out. Casinos hate us for it. Players love us for it.
Withdrawal Speed Tracking
We track how long casinos actually take to process withdrawals. Not what they claim, what they actually do. Currently monitoring 150+ casinos with real withdrawal data from our tests and user reports.
Some casinos say “instant withdrawals” but take 72 hours. We track that.
Social Responsibility & Trust Factors
Look, I watched a mate lose his house to pokies in 2015. Since then, responsible gambling has been personal for me.
Every casino we review gets scored on:
- Self-exclusion options
- Deposit limits
- Reality checks
- Links to gambling help organizations like Gambling Help Online
- Staff training on problem gambling
We also donate 5% of our annual profits to gambling addiction support services. It’s not much, but it’s something.
We’re registered with ASIC and comply with Australian consumer laws. You can verify our ABN through the Australian Business Register.
Company Growth Timeline
March 2019: Founded k9win Casinos, just me and a dream (and a lot of instant noodles)
August 2019: Hit 10,000 monthly visitors, first profitable month ($847, never forget it)
January 2020: Hired first team member (Tom, mate from uni)
July 2020: Launched responsible gambling resources section
March 2021: 100,000 monthly visitors milestone
June 2021: Expanded team to four people
February 2022: Spoke at Australian Gaming Expo
September 2022: Launched casino comparison tools
April 2023: Started real-time withdrawal tracking system
November 2023: Expanded into NZ market
March 2024: Hit 500,000 monthly visitors
August 2024: Launched Canadian market reviews
January 2025: Team grew to seven people
October 2025: Currently working on AI-powered casino matching system
Our Editorial Policy: How We Stay Honest
We have three simple rules:
1. Test Everything: If we haven’t tested it ourselves, we don’t review it. No exceptions.
2. No Pay-to-Play: Casinos can’t pay us for better ratings. They can pay us affiliate commissions when you sign up through our links, but that doesn’t affect our reviews. We’ve given low ratings to casinos offering high commissions and high ratings to casinos offering bugger all.
3. Update Regularly: Casinos change. Terms change. We revisit every review at least twice a year to make sure information is current.
“We’d rather make less money and sleep well at night than promote dodgy casinos for higher commissions.”
We also clearly mark sponsored content (we do some, it pays the bills) and always disclose affiliate relationships.
If a casino threatens legal action over a bad review (happens more often than you’d think), we tell them to get stuffed and keep the review up. So far, none have actually followed through because they know we can back up everything we say.
Our Review Process: The Nitty Gritty
Here’s exactly how we review casinos:
- Research (2-3 hours): Check licensing, ownership, complaints history
- Registration (30 mins): Sign up, verify identity, test KYC process
- Deposit (variable): Deposit $100-200 using different payment methods
- Gaming (10-20 hours): Play slots, table games, live dealer games
- Support Testing (5-10 hours): Contact support multiple times via different channels
- Terms Analysis (3-4 hours): Read every bloody word of the T&Cs
- Withdrawal Test (3-14 days): Request withdrawal and track processing time
- Follow-up (1-2 weeks): Monitor account for any post-withdrawal issues
Total time investment per casino: 25-40 hours.
Yeah, it’s a lot. But that’s how you get accurate information instead of copy-pasting from casino press releases.
Meet Our Team: The People Behind the Reviews
Ryan Mitchell (Founder & Chief Editor)
That’s me. Been in the iGaming industry since 2010. Worked at Casino.org, Casinomeister, Betsson Group, and Better Collective before starting k9win.
I handle strategy, editorial direction, and still write reviews when I have time (which isn’t often these days, honestly).
Education: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Western Australia
Certifications: Introduction to iGaming, Responsible Gambling Certification
Tom Reynolds (Senior Casino Analyst)
My mate from uni who I conned into joining this circus in 2020. Tom’s the detail guy. He’ll spend three days testing one casino’s customer support just to make sure we get it right.
Previously worked in data analysis at a fintech company. Now he analyses casinos instead. Lateral career move, really.
Education: Bachelor of Science (Statistics), Curtin University
Lisa Chen (Content Manager)
Joined us in 2021. Lisa handles all the payment method guides, bonus explanations, and responsible gambling content. She’s also our resident poker expert (way better than me).
Worked at AskGamblers before joining k9win. Speaks Mandarin, which is handy for reviewing Asian-facing casinos.
Education: Bachelor of Communications, RMIT University
Jake Morrison (Casino Tester)
Jake’s job is literally playing casino games all day. Lucky bastard. Except when he has to test s**t casinos with terrible games and worse customer support.
Former professional poker player who got sick of variance and wanted a stable income. Now he tests pokies for a living. Life’s weird.
Emma Watson (Support & Community Manager)
No, not that Emma Watson. Our Emma handles reader emails, social media, and user-submitted casino experiences. She’s basically the voice of k9win when you contact us.
Previously worked in customer service at Telstra (which prepared her for dealing with angry punters who lost money at casinos we didn’t recommend).
Education: Diploma of Business, TAFE Western Australia
Marcus Liu (Tech Lead)
Joined in 2023 to build our casino comparison tools and withdrawal tracking system. Marcus is a proper developer who could probably earn twice as much at a tech company but likes the gambling industry for some reason.
Education: Bachelor of Computer Science, University of Sydney
Sophie Andrews (Junior Writer)
Newest team member, started in early 2025. Sophie writes game reviews and helps with social media. Still learning the ropes but she’s sharp as a tack.
Education: Bachelor of Journalism, Queensland University of Technology
How We Select Casinos to Review
We prioritize casinos that:
- Accept Australian players
- Hold legitimate licenses (Malta, UK, Curaçao, etc.)
- Have been operating for at least 6 months
- Have enough user feedback to assess reputation
- Offer decent game selection
We avoid casinos that:
- Have unresolved player complaints
- Operate without proper licenses
- Have terms designed to trap players
- Take forever to process withdrawals
- Have repeatedly changed ownership (usually a red flag)
Every quarter, we review about 15-20 new casinos. Tom wants to do more. I tell him to slow down before he burns out.
Our Recommendations: How We Rank Casinos
We score casinos on seven factors:
- Licensing & Security (20%)
- Game Selection (15%)
- Payment Options (15%)
- Withdrawal Speed (15%)
- Customer Support (15%)
- Bonus Terms (10%)
- User Experience (10%)
Total score out of 100. We only recommend casinos scoring 75 or higher.
“A casino might have 5,000 games, but if they take three weeks to pay you, what’s the bloody point?”