Why data matters – Getting the facts and figures right when producing online slot reviews

A quick Google search for your favourite online slot game will reveal a whole host of reviews from a variety of different affiliate sites, each offering players the same basic concoction… One part game demo, one part feature spotlight and one part final verdict. 

Of course, not every website out there focusing on slots follows the same monotonous formula, there are a good handful of sites that give players a pretty lengthy appraisal of every online slot game they review, including all of the important facts and figures that make it what it is.

These in-depth reviews offer all the vital information a well-informed player might want to know, this includes the game’s RTP percentage (return to player), volatility and win potential. That all sounds good and well, right? This is until you realise that this information isn’t always correct.

Frustratingly, many slot review sites are littered with inconsistencies when it comes to these incredibly important statistics. It’s not a problem that’s often discussed, but a common problem that certainly exists, and should be highlighted! Especially when you consider that many players opt to spend money playing these slots based on information given to them by the affiliate.

Time saving exercises can prove more costly than anticipated

Speaking frankly, not all iGaming affiliates have the time, resources or know-how to write their own slot reviews, and that’s fine. The life of an affiliate is a busy one, there are relationships with affiliate managers to juggle, websites to be kept fresh and up-to-date and brand new offers to be found, as well as much more beyond that… Combined, it all eats into their working day.

With little time to even consider writing content such as in-depth slot reviews, the task is passed onto a freelance writer, who will often be smashing out a handful of reviews in a single day.

The issue here is that those commissioning the work are left with little choice but to trust that the freelancer knows what they’re talking about, and more importantly that they’re actually getting all of the key information on each and every slot they review correct.

The harsh reality is that freelancers, especially those that have no real connection to the world of iGaming, will often use other iGaming affiliates’ content as a base of reference for their own review. Ironically, it’s completely plausible that the review they’ve used as reference was also written by someone who used another affiliate’s content as their reference point… 

It’s quite likely that somewhere along the line incorrect data has been used, such as the wrong RTP, release date or maximum win potential. This then leads to multiple reviews sharing the same incorrect data, confusing players and other affiliates into believing that the data is correct.

Asking the experts – What should affiliates do when producing new online slot reviews?

In an attempt to discover exactly what makes a great slot review we asked the expert enthusiasts at SlotGods.co.uk, one of the leading sources of independent bias free online slot reviews, for their tips on ensuring a review is as reliable and factual as it can possibly be.

They informed us that there are a couple of very simple solutions (that they use themselves on each and every review) that affiliates can employ themselves to ensure their reviews are as informative and factual as possible. 

The very first thing they should do is actually play the slot that either they, or their content writer is writing about. It’s almost insulting how obvious this is, but it’s just as painfully obvious that some sites just re-write other people’s reviews without ever launching the game itself. 

Once inside the game, it’s more than likely that you’ll find almost ALL of the information you require to write a solid review within the game information and paytable pages. This includes the more intricate information such as the game’s RTP percentage and maximum payout.

Secondly, Slot Gods highly recommend visiting the developer’s website. Nine times out of ten online slot developers will publish an extensive information page that details all of the key information, as well as a small write-up of their own that nicely summarises the game.

Some developers will offer affiliates the opportunity to sign up to a client area that will allow them to access slot assets such as high quality images, videos and most importantly online slot game sheets, which are all-encompassing PDFs or word documents that detail absolutely everything about a game.

Be individual – Ignore everyone else around you in your niche

The final word from Slot Gods is that affiliates should never ever assume another affiliate site has done things correctly. It’s incredibly easy to look over at one of the big slot review sites and assume they’ve done everything by the book, getting every fact and figure spot on.

They might have great reviews with excellent video content, high quality images and practical information on the game’s features, but that doesn’t mean that every little detail is correct.

Despite having produced over 500 in-depth online slot reviews that cover everything from the sound of the game as the reels spin to the exact amount of money players can get their hands on if they’re lucky enough to hit the game’s biggest winning combination, they say the following:

“We know it can be tempting to piggyback off another affiliate when writing, but we’d advise against it, so much so that we’d include our own site in this advice! We’re confident everything we write is 100% accurate, but we’d still recommend doing your own research from scratch. 

“There’s absolutely no substitute to playing the game yourself when reviewing a slot, in addition to this it’s always worth visiting the developer’s website and obtaining the game sheet if possible. 

“Regardless of whether it’s you, a content writer or a freelancer writing the review, it’s very easy to get caught up in a web of incorrect information. You could be left with egg on your face later on down the line when players notice you’ve not given them the right information. 

“Blindly trusting someone else, rather than taking the extra time to dig deeper when reviewing a slot could give you an unwanted reputation for untrustworthy and unreliable content, ultimately costing you revenue in the long run.”