Research methodology: how we verify what we publish
Every page on CasinoQueryLab answers a specific question for a named jurisdiction, cites the sources that support it, and says when it was last checked. This page sets out the rules we follow and the limits of what our work can show.
CasinoQueryLab is described in more detail on our about page.
1. Start with a precise question
"Is online casino legal in the US?" has no single answer, so we do not ask it. We ask "is online casino live in Michigan, since when, and who regulates it?" Narrow questions produce answers that can be checked, and they stop us from turning a state or provincial rule into a national one.
2. Primary sources before commentary
For legal and regulatory facts we go to the regulator, the statute or the official register first: state gaming commissions, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the UK Gambling Commission, the Advertising Standards Authority. For search facts we use platform documentation such as Google Search Central, OpenAI's crawler documentation and Bing Webmaster guidance. Trade press and law-firm notes are used to find changes quickly, and cited as secondary when no primary source is available.
3. Record what each source supports
We note the date we checked each source and exactly which claim it supports. When sources disagree, for example two trackers giving different counts of legal sports betting states, we say so and explain which we followed and why.
4. Separate evidence from inference
Our guides combine facts with editorial judgement. We mark the difference: "the Gambling Commission requires" is a fact with a link; "we would check the bonus pages first" is our view. We do not invent search volumes, traffic, rankings, AI visibility scores or test results, and dashboard-style images on the site are illustrations, not data.
5. How AI answer checks are documented
When we report what an AI assistant said, we record the exact prompt, the platform and mode, the date, the location and whether we were logged in, and we keep the full answer. AI answers change between runs, so a single answer is reported as an example, never as a ranking or a measure of performance. The full procedure is set out in our protocol for checking AI answers about gambling legality.
6. Review schedule
Trackers are re-checked at least monthly and whenever a regulator announces a change. Explainers are reviewed at least every six months, and immediately when a cited rule or policy changes. Each page shows its publication date and its last review date.
7. Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it, note the correction on the page and list it on our editorial standards page. Send corrections through the contact page.
8. What our work cannot tell you
Our guides are general editorial information. They are not legal advice, they do not confirm that any business may operate or advertise in a market, and they cannot predict how search engines or AI systems will treat a particular site. For decisions with legal consequences, consult qualified advisers in the relevant jurisdiction.