Background

Jules has covered the Australian and New Zealand online casino market continuously since 2020. Prior to joining Level Up Casino, Jules contributed regularly to OnlineGambling.com.au as a casino review editor, with a focus on payment methods, KYC processes, and the practical realities of withdrawing winnings as an offshore-licensed customer.

Day-to-day work involves opening real accounts at the casinos being reviewed, funding them with personal capital, completing full play sessions across multiple game categories, submitting KYC documentation, and processing test withdrawals. Reviews are timestamped against these test sessions — every claim about response times, withdrawal speeds, or game performance traces back to a specific session log.

Areas of expertise

• Australian gambling regulation and the offshore licensing landscape (Curaçao, Anjouan, Gibraltar)
• Payment-method blocking by Australian banks and the workaround landscape (Neosurf retail, eZeeWallet, crypto)
• Bonus-term forensics — actual wagering contribution by game category, game weighting, and time-limit math
• RTP analysis and provider-by-provider performance benchmarking
• Responsible gambling tooling — BetStop, self-exclusion register integrations, casino-level controls
• KYC and AML processes from the player's side of the desk

Review methodology

Every casino review on Level Up Casino follows the same protocol. A real account is opened. A minimum deposit is made using a payment method that's relevant to the target audience (typically Neosurf or a debit card for AU reviews). At least six hours of gameplay across pokies, table games, and live dealer are logged. KYC is submitted and timed from upload to approval. A withdrawal of at least A$120 is requested and timed from approval email to wallet credit. Customer support is contacted at three different times of day (AU business hours, late evening, weekend) and response times are recorded.

Reviews are re-verified quarterly. The date at the top of each review reflects the most recent verification, not the original publication date. If a casino's behaviour materially changes between verifications, the review is updated immediately rather than waiting for the quarterly cycle.

Editorial independence

Level Up Casino is an affiliate site and earns commission when readers sign up at the casinos reviewed here. That commercial relationship does not influence reviews — Jules has refused to publish positive reviews of casinos that failed payout testing, even where commercial incentives existed. The site does not publish reviews of casinos that haven't been tested firsthand. Every review carries an inline affiliate disclosure.