Desmond Hartley, game data reviewer
Desmond Hartley · Reviewer
Our reviewer

Desmond Hartley

Desmond reads every page against the evidence. He matches each number, price and rule to the game or its provider, then re-reads the finished text as a player to catch anything accurate but misleading.

Fact-checkingSourcing standardsRTP versionsResponsible play
6checks on every page
2sources for each key figure
0claims we cannot source
Checklist

Six Checks Before a Page Goes Live

Six checks run on every page before it publishes, and again whenever a game or its rules change.

01

Return to player

The headline RTP, any alternative builds and the RTP quoted for optional buy features.

02

Volatility and frequency

Ratings and hit rates are taken from the provider where it defines them, and flagged where it does not.

03

Paytable and values

Symbol and coin values are converted into multiples of the stake and compared with the in-game table.

04

Feature rules and prices

Triggers, respins, multiplier logic, caps and buy prices are checked against the rules and the demo.

05

Stakes and limits

Minimum and maximum bets and the maximum win are confirmed, along with how a licence can change them.

06

Player-safety wording

Age limits, demo disclaimers and help-line details are checked for accuracy and clarity.

Why I check

Copied Data Is How One Error Spreads

My background is in data journalism, not gambling. I spent seven years on a newspaper data desk, where the standing rule was that a figure did not run until it could be traced to a primary source. Slot data breaks that rule constantly: a grid size, a stake range or a volatility label is lifted from one page to the next until a single early mistake sits on dozens of sites and reads like consensus.

So my process is deliberately plain. Every figure needs a source, ideally the game's own information screens or the provider's documentation. When two sources disagree, the game wins. When the game does not publish a value, the page says so rather than borrowing a number from a review. That single habit has caught confident claims about paylines, maximum wins and hit rates that did not survive a look at the actual game.

The second half of the job is reading as a player, not an editor. Does the text explain the conditions behind a big number? Does it make clear that a demo result predicts nothing about real money? Is the responsible-play advice specific enough to act on? A page can be entirely accurate and still leave the wrong impression, and closing that gap is where a review earns its trust.

If the game does not publish a figure, the page says so instead of guessing.

Workflow

From Draft to Sign-Off

Source list

The author supplies a source for every figure, price and rule in the draft.

Independent verification

Each item is confirmed against the game and the provider without leaning on the author's notes.

Corrections logged

Anything unconfirmed is rewritten, softened or removed, with the reason recorded.

Sign-off and re-checks

The page is cleared to publish and reviewed again whenever the game or its rules change.

Who Writes the Pages I Check

Elowen Radcliffe researches and writes every game page, starting from the maths and the official demo.

Meet Elowen Radcliffe