ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Noah Rafkin
I run Bonus Bandit alone: every score, every verification, and every changelog entry on this site is mine, which means every mistake is mine too. That's the deal, one named person you can hold accountable, instead of an anonymous "editorial team."
The record, in numbers
These counts render from the live database at every build, the same queries the linked pages use, so this page can't quietly inflate.
- 232 operators scored
- 99 operators tested in person
- 79 cashouts delivered & logged
- 51 states tracked for legality
- 1,101 score changes logged
Methodology v: e9a89dbe · v1 (June 2026) · effective June 9, 2026
How the testing actually works
I maintain real accounts with operators where it's lawful in my state, run test redemptions where feasible, and track terms documents over time with automated monitoring. When a flagged terms change lands in the review queue, I read it by hand before it touches a score. The rest of the evidence comes from verified player reports filed on this site and sustained sentiment tracking, all of it feeding the published scoring formula.
Background
Bonus Bandit scores 232 sweepstakes casinos, and I've opened and tested accounts at 99 of them myself, funding them, running KYC, and cashing out where the operator allowed it, because the scene had no reviewer who wasn't paid to say yes. Everything I learn goes into the scoring data, not a sales pitch.
The research this feeds
The test log isn't a trophy shelf; it's the raw material for the site's published studies. Start with the quarterly industry report (the dated, citable digest of each quarter), the payout study (who actually pays, from first-hand redemptions), the complaint index (complaint rates across the market), the redemption-time data, and the state legality tracker. The underlying data is also published for reuse.
How I'm accountable
Every score change is logged publicly in the changelog with its reason. The scoring weights are versioned and published. How the site makes money is in the disclosure: affiliate links fund the work, but scores are computed mechanically and aren't affiliate-weighted, so no operator can buy a better one. If you think a score is wrong, email me the evidence at noah.rafkin@bonusbandit.win. Corrections get a changelog entry like everything else.
I'm a researcher, not a lawyer or financial advisor. State legality pages cite primary sources but aren't legal advice. And the standing reminder: sweepstakes games are built so the house wins over time. If it stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.