Declan Shaw

Explainer Editor

Declan spent nine years working inside online casino operations, first in a payments team approving and querying withdrawals, then in a compliance role reviewing identity documents and source-of-funds evidence. He left that work to write about it from the player's side of the counter.

His interest is in the mechanics that decide what an offer is worth: how wagering is counted, why a withdrawal stalls, what a document reviewer is actually looking for. He writes every explainer on this site and rechecks the figures against the operator's published terms on a regular cycle.

Areas of focus

Wagering requirements and contribution weighting
Withdrawal processing and payment methods
Identity verification and anti-money-laundering checks
RTP, volatility and how game maths meets bonus rules
Responsible gambling tools and where they fall short

How he works

Declan works from primary sources: the operator's bonus and general terms, the game providers' information screens, and the public guidance of UK bodies such as the ASA and GamCare. Every worked example on the site is calculated from scratch and can be checked with a calculator. Where a figure is advertised rather than independently confirmed, the page says so.

He does not accept payment for coverage, does not write about operators he has a personal financial interest in, and does not gamble at the operators he writes about while a piece is being researched.

Articles by Declan

Background

Before casino operations, Declan worked in the card-disputes team of a high-street bank, which is where he first learned how card schemes handle gambling transactions, chargebacks and refunds. He holds a degree in economics and has completed anti-money-laundering certification in the course of his compliance work. Outside the site he volunteers with a debt-advice charity in the North West.

Contact

Corrections and questions about Declan's work can be sent to [email protected]. See the editorial policy for how corrections are handled.