Public method · score v2

One formula for every US venue. Built on government records.

Each casino, racino, tribal venue and online operator gets a 100-point score. Points come only from what a regulator, a statute, a tribal compact or a state revenue report can prove.

Government only
Points are earned from official sources. Other sources can fill a fact, never earn a point on their own.
Same rules everywhere
All 50 states and DC use one formula. Only the licence test changes for tribal, online and racing venues.
Recomputed live
Every site release rescores the whole database. No number on this page is typed by hand.

records scored: 1,190
average score: 78
criteria, one formula: 6

US score · 100 points

The formula at a glance

30 25 15 10 12 8

Government sourcing 30
Authority to operate 25
Legal basis in the state 15
State revenue reporting 10
Confirmed key facts 12
Freshness 8

Entry gate

A record is scored only if at least one of its sources is a government document. No government source means no score, and the venue is shown as “not yet verified”.

When a criterion does not apply to a venue type, it is removed and the remaining points are scaled to 100. Example: 81 of 90 possible → 90.

Six criteria

What each criterion measures and how it is scored

01Government sourcing
30
Measures. The share of the record’s sources that are government documents. A fact that a regulator signs off is the hardest to fake or to buy.
Accepted sources. State gaming boards (PGCB, NJ DGE, NJ CCC, MGC, NYSGC, OCCC, MGCB), NIGC, the Federal Register, state codes, govinfo.gov.
- 30all sources are government
- 30 × sharee.g. 2 of 3 government → 20
- gate0 government sources → not scored
No data. Secondary sources (maps, operator sites) lower the share. They can fill a field but never add points here.
↻ Every release; source list re-read on each research pass.
02Authority to operate
25
Measures. Whether a government body has authorised this venue or brand to offer gambling. A licence or compact is the legal reason a place may take your money.
Accepted sources. Regulator licence registries; for tribal venues the NIGC gaming-tribe list and Class III compacts approved in the Federal Register.
- 25active licence in the regulator registry
- 12licence listed, status not published
- 0no licence record found
No data. A missing licence scores 0. We do not assume one exists because the venue is open.
↻ Each research pass of the regulator list, at least monthly.
03Legal basis in the state
15
Measures. Whether the venue’s format (casino, sportsbook, racino, iGaming…) is legal and live in that state. A licence means little if the format itself is not authorised by state law.
Accepted sources. State statutes and constitutions, regulator rules, compacts; our state × format legal-status table.
- 15format is “live” or “tribal-only” in the state
- 0not confirmed, pending or not legal
No data. Unconfirmed status scores 0 until a statute or rule is cited.
↻ On every law change we track; the full table quarterly.
04State revenue reporting
10
Measures. Whether the state publishes this venue’s revenue, win or handle, and how recent the report is. A venue that files monthly with the state is actively supervised.
Accepted sources. Monthly and annual state reports, e.g. NJ DGE Monthly Gross Revenue, PGCB revenue reports, MGC revenue, Ohio Lottery VLT net win.
- 10report period within the last 6 months
- 5older report
- 0state publishes reports but none found for the venue
No data. Not applicable for tribal venues (IGRA keeps tribal revenue confidential) and online brands (states report per licensee). The criterion is removed and the rest scaled to 100.
↻ Monthly, when the state report comes out.
05Confirmed key facts
12
Measures. Venues: address, map point, opening date, slots, tables, hotel rooms, hours, operator. Online brands: licence number and legal entity. A complete record lets you check the venue yourself.
Accepted sources. Facts are taken from government sources first; a field can be filled from an operator page, but it is marked as secondary.
- 12 × sharevenues: 1.5 points per confirmed fact out of 8
- 6 + 6online: licence number; legal entity
No data. Unknown stays blank and earns nothing. We never estimate a slot or table count.
↻ With each revenue report and each research pass.
06Freshness
8
Measures. How recently any source of the record was checked. Licences lapse and casinos close. Old data is a risk.
Accepted sources. The retrieval date stored on every source.
- 8checked within 30 days
- 5within 90 days
- 2within 180 days
- 0older
No data. No date on any source scores 0.
↻ Daily research runs; scores rebuilt on every release.

Same formula, four licence tests

Rules by venue type

Commercial casinos
268 scored · avg 68
All six criteria apply. Licence from the state board (e.g. PGCB, NJ CCC, MGC). Revenue from the state’s monthly report.
Tribal casinos
544 scored · avg 79
Authority = 10 points for the NIGC gaming-tribe list + 15 for a Class III compact approved in the Federal Register. Class II-only halls need no compact and get the full 15 with the NIGC listing. Revenue is not applicable.
Racetracks, racinos and VLT
123 scored · avg 66
Licence from the racing commission or lottery that runs the machines. Revenue from VLT net-win or racino reports (e.g. Ohio Lottery, WV Lottery).
Online operators
255 scored · avg 92
Scored per brand across its state licences. Active iGaming, online-poker or online sports licence = 25. Legal basis counts if any licensing state has the format live. Facts = licence number and legal entity. Revenue is not applicable.

Real records, live from the database

Worked examples

Commercial casino · Tier B

Ameristar Casino East Chicago

Government sourcing
2 of 2 sources are government30/30
Authority to operate
active licence in the regulator registry25/25
Legal basis in the state
format confirmed legal and live in the state15/15
State revenue reporting
state revenue report for 2026-0910/10
Confirmed key facts
4 of 8 key facts confirmed6/12
Freshness
last checked 2026-10-148/8

94 of 100 possible94/100

Government sources: Indiana Gaming Commission casino locations and information; Indiana Gaming Commission monthly revenue workbook, September 2026

Tribal casino · Tier B

Bear River Casino Resort

tribal land · ca-bear-river-band-of-the-rohnerville-rancheria

Government sourcing
2 of 2 sources are government30/30
Authority to operate
on the NIGC gaming-tribe list; Class II only, no compact needed25/25
Legal basis in the state
format confirmed legal and live in the state15/15
State revenue reporting
not applicable: tribal revenue is confidential under IGRAn/a
Confirmed key facts
2 of 8 key facts confirmed3/12
Freshness
last checked 2026-10-128/8

81 of 90 possible90/100

Government sources: NIGC Gaming Tribe Report (Sorted By State), updated 12/12/2025; Facility street address cite

Online operator · Tier A

American Wagering, Inc.

MA, WV

Government sourcing
3 of 3 sources are government30/30
Authority to operate
active licence in the regulator registry25/25
Legal basis in the state
format confirmed legal and live in the state15/15
State revenue reporting
not applicable: reported per licenseen/a
Confirmed key facts
licence number published; legal entity identified12/12
Freshness
last checked 2026-10-158/8

90 of 90 possible100/100

Government sources: MGC sports wagering licensees; West Virginia Lottery sports wagering license list (SWP); West Virginia Lottery iGaming MSP and supplier license list

Across the database today

Score distribution and confidence

Score	Commercial casino	Tribal casino	Racino / VLT	Online operator	All
90-100	4	26	1	192	223
75-89	104	252	33	51	440
60-74	107	260	49	12	428
40-59	31	6	39	0	76
0-39	22	0	1	0	23

Online operators are counted per brand (255). Recalculated on every site release.

Tier A · cross-checked
95
Two or more independent government websites back the record.
Tier B · official
730
One government source, nothing else needed.
Tier C · official + secondary
365
A government source plus facts from maps or operator pages, marked as secondary.

Where points come from

Which sources count

Source	Examples	Effect
State gaming regulators	PGCB (PA), NJ DGE and NJ CCC, MGC (MA), NYSGC (gaming.ny.gov), Ohio CCC, Michigan GCB, Indiana GC	Points
Federal tribal oversight	National Indian Gaming Commission (nigc.gov), Interior Department compact approvals in the Federal Register	Points
Statutes and rules	State codes, constitutions, regulator rules, govinfo.gov (IGRA, Wire Act)	Points
State revenue reports	NJ DGE Monthly Gross Revenue, PGCB revenue, MGC revenue, lottery VLT net win	Points
Operator sites, maps	Official casino pages, OpenStreetMap geocoding	Fill a field only
Reviews, ads, affiliates	Google stars, Yelp, paid placements, affiliate deals	Never used

When sources disagree

How we resolve conflicts

1Government beats any other source, always.
2Between two government sources the more specific one wins: the regulator registry over a general state page, the monthly report over an annual one.
3If they are equally specific, the newer dated document wins and the older value is kept in the record note.
4If we cannot resolve it, the field stays blank and the record is queued for a manual check. Blank costs points, a wrong value costs trust.

Independence

What never affects a score

Advertising, sponsorship or affiliate deals. Tested never to move a score.
Google stars, Yelp, reader polls or any user reviews.
Size or popularity: a big resort does not outscore a small hall with the same proof.
Bonuses, odds or promotions of online brands.

Found a mistake?

Send the document. We correct in public.

Step 1Email the page link and an official source for the right value.
Step 2We check it against the regulator’s own record.
Step 3The fact, the source and the check date change; the score recomputes on the next release.
Step 4Changes to weights or rules are listed in the version note below.

Email a correction →Editorial policy →

Score v2.0, approved 2026-10-14. Replaces v1 (five criteria) and the earlier area ranking used only for some floor lists. Scores recalculate from our research database on every site release.

Effective Oct 7, 2026