How We Rate Slots — Rating Methodology

Why This Page Exists

Every slot review on this site carries an expert rating — a number between 1 and 5. You'll see it on each review page (for example, 5 Lions is rated 4.7, 5 Lions Megaways 2 is 4.6, 5 Lions Reborn is 4.5). This page explains exactly how those ratings are produced, what data goes into them, and what each score means.

The methodology is the same for every slot in the 5 Lions series — no exceptions. If I rate one slot higher than another, you should be able to trace that difference back to the criteria described below.

Who Does the Reviews

All reviews are written by Evan Rico — a slots analyst with over 7 years in the iGaming industry and 500+ slots reviewed across multiple providers. The 5 Lions series has been my primary focus since the original launched in 2018. I specialise in Pragmatic Play titles and Asian-themed slots.

I personally test every slot — in demo mode and at the casino — before writing a single word. I don't rely on press releases, other review sites, or secondhand descriptions. If I can't verify a mechanic myself, it doesn't go into the review.

The Review Process — Step by Step

Each review follows the same five-step process. No shortcuts.

01

Official Documentation

I start with the official game page on pragmaticplay.com and the in-game rules screen. These are the ground truth — RTP, max win, paytable, and mechanic descriptions come directly from the provider. If the rules screen says something different from the marketing page, the rules screen wins.

02

Demo Testing

I play the demo extensively — every bonus option, every mechanic, every paytable payout gets checked. The demo runs on Pragmatic Play's servers and is mechanically identical to the real-money version.

03

Real-Money Play & Spin Tracking

Every slot is tested with real money across multiple sessions, logged via SlotTracker — an independent tool that records every spin, win, and bonus trigger. This gives me verified data on bonus frequency, hit rate, actual RTP, and session variance that no spec sheet provides. For the original 5 Lions, I tracked 38,843 spins before writing a single word. Community data from other SlotTracker users across the series helps validate my findings at scale.

04

Market & Trend Research

I use Google Trends to track search interest for each slot in the series — how it performs at launch, whether interest sustains, and how it compares to other Pragmatic Play titles. I also evaluate how each slot is listed and described across major slot catalog sites to check whether the industry consensus matches my findings.

05

Industry Sources

I maintain contacts within the iGaming industry — other reviewers, affiliate managers, and casino operators who share their observations on game performance. These conversations surface things data alone can't: which slots players actually return to, which bonuses trigger complaints, and which titles casinos choose to promote. Nothing from a private conversation goes into a review without being verified against other sources first.

What the Expert Rating Covers

The expert rating (out of 5) is based on five factors, weighted equally:

RTP & Fairness	Is the standard RTP competitive? Is it MGA-certified? How many reduced-RTP variants exist?
Mechanics & Innovation	Does the slot introduce something new to the series? Are the mechanics well-designed and clearly explained in-game?
Volatility & Max Win	Does the volatility match the target audience? Is the max win ceiling realistic given the mechanic?
Player Experience	Session pacing, base game engagement, bonus frequency, mobile performance, visual and audio quality.
Series Context	How does this entry fit within the 5 Lions franchise? Does it serve a player type the other entries don't cover?

Each factor is scored individually, then averaged. The final rating is rounded to one decimal place. No slot in the series has received a perfect 5.0 — that would require a meaningful advance in every category simultaneously.

What I Don't Do

No copied reviews. Every word is written from scratch — from my own testing, my own sessions, my own data.

No paid ratings. Affiliate relationships with casinos exist and are disclosed in the Terms of Use. But no casino or game provider has ever had input into a rating. The number on the page is mine.

No publishing without play. If I haven't played it in demo and with my own bankroll, it doesn't get published. When a slot isn't available for real-money play in my region, I say so explicitly.

No guessing on specs. Every number — RTP, max win, hit frequency — comes from Pragmatic Play's official documentation or the in-game rules screen. If I can't verify it, it stays out.

Corrections & Updates

Pragmatic Play occasionally updates game configurations — RTP variants, bonus mechanics, or paytable values. When this happens, I update the relevant page as soon as the change is confirmed via the in-game rules screen.

If you spot an error or outdated piece of information anywhere on the site, please contact me. Error corrections go to the top of the queue.

Important Disclaimer

The reviews and ratings on this site are informational only. They are not gambling advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to play any slot for real money. All slot games are games of chance with a built-in house edge. Read the full Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using this site.