Last updated: May 2026 — James Hargreaves, Xiaoli
At Xiaoli (xiaoli.co.uk), every casino review you read has been researched, tested, and written by James Hargreaves. This page explains exactly how that process works, what criteria we use, and why you can trust the ratings we publish. We believe you deserve full transparency about where our scores come from before you act on any recommendation.
James Hargreaves is the owner, author, and sole reviewer at Xiaoli. James has spent years analysing the UK online casino market with a specific focus on withdrawal speeds and payment reliability. Every site featured on this platform has been personally registered, funded, and tested by James before a single word of a review is written. We do not accept pre-written content from operators, affiliate networks, or third-party contributors. Every opinion you read here is independent and based on direct, hands-on experience.
Before any casino receives a rating on Xiaoli, it goes through a structured evaluation process. Below is the exact sequence James follows for every review published in 2026.
James first confirms the casino holds a valid licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Any site operating without a current UKGC licence is immediately excluded from consideration. This is a non-negotiable baseline for all reviews on this site.
James creates a real player account using his own personal details, completes the full KYC (Know Your Customer) verification process, and notes how long each stage takes. This reflects exactly what a new UK player would experience.
A real deposit is made using a common UK payment method. James plays a selection of games across multiple categories to assess the overall experience, software quality, and game loading performance on both desktop and mobile.
Because Xiaoli focuses specifically on fast withdrawal casinos, this step carries significant weight in our overall assessment. James requests a real-money withdrawal and records the exact processing time from request to funds received. Multiple withdrawal methods are tested where possible.
James contacts the customer support team at least twice using different channels, including live chat and email, with a mix of routine and complex enquiries. Response times and the quality of answers are both scored.
After completing all testing, James compiles scores across each category and calculates a final weighted rating. The full review is then written based entirely on personal experience, with no input from the casino operator.
Each casino is scored out of 10 in six categories. These scores are combined using the following weightings to produce a final overall rating out of 10.
| Category | Weighting | What We Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and Safety | 25% | UKGC licence status, responsible gambling tools, SSL security, fair play certifications |
| Bonuses and Promotions | 20% | Welcome offer value, wagering requirements, bonus terms fairness, ongoing promotions |
| Game Selection | 20% | Number and variety of titles, software providers, live casino offering, game loading speed |
| Payment Methods | 15% | Withdrawal speed (primary focus), available methods, deposit limits, fee transparency |
| Customer Support | 10% | Availability hours, response times, quality of answers, support channel variety |
| Mobile Experience | 10% | Browser performance, dedicated app availability, navigation ease, mobile game library |
All casinos are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 represents an outstanding experience with no meaningful drawbacks. Here is how to interpret each score range:
We want to be completely open about how Xiaoli operates commercially and how we protect our editorial independence. Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning Xiaoli may earn a commission if you click through and register with a casino. However, this commercial relationship never influences our scores or recommendations. The following principles govern everything we publish:
If you have questions about our review process or wish to report inaccurate information, you are welcome to contact James Hargreaves directly through the contact page at xiaoli.co.uk.