By Asia Gaming Brief is free to read. Keeping it that way costs money, and we think readers deserve a plain explanation of where that money comes from and what it can and cannot buy. This page sets out how AGBrief Ltd is funded, how commercial arrangements affect the site, and how to recognise commercial content when you see it.
How we are funded
Affiliate commissions do not change the price you pay or the terms you receive from an operator. The operator pays us, not you.
How comparison toplists work
Our comparison pages list licensed gambling sites for each market we cover. These toplists are managed by our commercial team, separately from the newsroom. We want to be direct about what that means:
- Commercial agreements with partners can influence the order in which operators appear in a toplist.
- A higher position does not necessarily mean an operator has a higher review score.
- Not every licensed operator in a market appears on our pages, and we do not claim to list every option available.
The scores, review criteria and licence requirements behind each listing are published on How We Rate, so you can judge each operator on its own merits rather than on its position alone.
What commercial partners can and cannot influence
Partners pay for visibility. They do not pay for our judgement.
| Partners can | Partners cannot |
|---|---|
| Agree commercial terms that affect placement within a toplist | Buy a listing for a site that is not licensed for that market |
| Supply current bonus offers and terms for us to check | Change, approve or remove the text of a review |
| Purchase display advertising or sponsorship | Bypass the licence gate that decides whether a score is awarded |
| Submit factual corrections about their own product | Influence, review or delay news and intelligence coverage |
The licence gate is the first test every operator must pass. If a site does not hold the licence required in a given market, it is not scored and not listed for that market, whatever commercial arrangement might otherwise be on offer. If a listed operator loses its licence, it is removed.
The newsroom is fully independent of these arrangements. Advertisers and affiliate partners do not see stories before publication, and a commercial relationship never stops us reporting on a company. Our Editorial Policy explains this in detail.
Sponsored content
From time to time, a company may pay for an article, report or feature. When that happens:
- The content is labelled Sponsored or Partner content at the top of the page and in any listing that links to it.
- The sponsor is named.
- Sponsored content is kept apart from news, and newsroom reporters do not write it.
- Sponsored pieces must still meet our accuracy and responsible gambling standards, and we will decline material that does not.
How links are marked
Links that can earn us money, or that form part of a paid placement, carry the rel=”sponsored” attribute, and are also marked nofollow where appropriate. This tells search engines that the link is commercial. News articles do not contain affiliate links in their body text.
How to recognise commercial modules
On a comparison page, the following elements are commercial and may earn us a commission:
- Toplists and operator tables, including logos, ratings badges and bonus summaries.
- Buttons such as “Visit site” or “Claim offer” that lead to an operator.
- Offer boxes highlighting a specific promotion.
Comparison pages display a short disclosure near the top that links back to this page. Banner and display advertising elsewhere on the site is marked as advertising.
Every comparison page also shows the local helpline and support options for that market. If you are thinking about signing up anywhere, our Responsible Gambling page covers deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion in each market.
Keeping offers and details accurate
Bonus offers, payment methods and terms change often. Partners can send us updated offers, but we check them before they appear, and we describe the main conditions, such as wagering requirements, minimum deposits and time limits, alongside the headline amount. If an offer has expired or its terms have changed, we update or remove it. Each comparison page shows a Last verified date that reflects the most recent full check by an editor.
Before signing up anywhere, we recommend reading the operator’s own terms in full. The operator’s terms are what apply to your account, and they take precedence over any summary on our pages.
Where we choose not to earn money
Some markets in our coverage do not permit online gambling, or limit it to specific state providers. On those pages we explain the legal position and point readers to support services, and we do not place affiliate links to operators that are not licensed there. We would rather publish a page that earns nothing than promote a site that readers cannot legally or safely use.
We also do not run advertising aimed at people under the legal gambling age, and we decline campaigns that suggest gambling is a way to make money or recover losses.
Changes to this disclosure
If our funding model or the way commercial arrangements work on the site changes in a meaningful way, we will update this page so readers always have an accurate picture.
Questions about this page
If something on the site looks commercial but is not labelled, or a label seems misleading, please tell us at [email protected] and we will review it.
Advertising with Asia Gaming Brief
Companies interested in display advertising, sponsorship or partner content can contact us at [email protected] or through Enquiries. Every request is reviewed against this disclosure and our editorial standards, and we only work with operators that hold the licences required in the markets where they would be promoted. More about the publication is on About Asia Gaming Brief.
