About Ian Zerafa
Ian Zerafa has spent the better part of four years working inside some of the largest casino review platforms in the English-speaking world. He started as a content editor at Time2play Media in May 2021, progressing through senior editorial roles before moving to Casino.org, where he now manages the US content team as Content Manager. His output covers casino and sports betting products across the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, and he has personally reviewed or fact-checked well over a hundred gambling sites during that time.
Before entering iGaming, Ian worked in journalism. That background informs how he approaches research: source verification, cross-referencing regulatory filings, and reading the fine print in bonus terms rather than summarising what operators say about themselves. He grew up in Malta, one of the world’s primary licensing jurisdictions for online gambling, and has had a front-row view of how the industry operates from a regulatory and commercial standpoint.
He splits his time between Malta and Arizona, which gives him both a European regulatory perspective and direct proximity to the US market, the most actively evolving iGaming landscape of the past several years.
Career and Professional Experience
Ian’s career in iGaming began at Time2play Media in May 2021. Over two and a half years with that organisation, he moved from Content Editor to Senior Content Editor, and then to US Content Team Lead, where he was responsible for editorial direction, team management, and the quality of content across the US market.
In October 2023, he joined Casino.org as a Content Editor, and was promoted to Content Manager in February 2024. In that capacity, he oversees the US editorial team, guides content strategy, manages a group of reviewers and freelancers, and is ultimately responsible for the accuracy and consistency of one of the site’s most competitive markets.
Prior to iGaming, Ian worked in news media. The habits that come with a journalism background, checking primary sources, verifying claims, and distinguishing editorial from promotional material, remain central to how he works today.
He has attended major industry events including ICE London, SiGMA World, and the CASINOBEATS Summit in Malta, which provide direct access to operators, regulators, and developers, and inform his understanding of where the industry is heading.
Education and Academic Credentials
Ian holds two postgraduate degrees.
His first is an M.A. in Digital Culture and Media from the University of Malta, completed between 2018 and 2020. This programme covers media systems, digital platforms, and the intersection of technology and communication, all directly relevant to how online gambling platforms operate and present themselves to users.
His second is an M.Litt in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, one of the world’s top 100 universities, completed in 2019 to 2020. Analytical reading and close textual work are foundational to that qualification, skills that translate directly into reviewing the kind of jargon-dense terms and conditions that operators routinely publish.
He also holds a B.A. (Hons) in English from the University of Malta, completed in 2018, and participated in an ERASMUS+ exchange programme at the University of Limerick in Ireland.
Ian has served as a consultant to the British Library, one of the world’s foremost research institutions, in a capacity that required a high standard of editorial and analytical judgement.
Published Work and Editorial Output
Ian has authored 64 articles and guides published on Casino.org, in addition to 51 main site pages and 13 casino reviews. He has verified and fact-checked more than 100 pages across the platform.
His written work covers a range of topics, including online casino reviews, regulatory analysis, bonus term assessments, game guides, and market-specific player resources. His commentary on the US iGaming market has been referenced in external media, including interviews on New Jersey’s online gaming tax revenue and projections for the broader North American market.
He is a regular reader of trade publications including EGR Global, Gambling Insider, and NEXT.io, which he uses to track regulatory changes, operator developments, and shifts in game technology.
How Ian Reviews Online Casinos
Ian’s review methodology is built around the same questions a careful player would ask, but with a layer of systematic testing that goes beyond surface-level assessment.
The first thing he examines at any casino is the wagering requirements attached to bonuses. In his experience, how a platform structures its bonus terms reflects how it treats players across the board. Unnecessarily complex conditions, buried opt-in requirements, or game contribution weightings that make completion near-impossible are consistent indicators of broader issues elsewhere on the platform.
He also tests live chat support on every review. The quality of a platform’s customer service is one of the clearest measures of how seriously an operator takes its players. Scripted responses, slow handling of direct questions, or an inability to answer product-specific queries are all things he documents.
Beyond that, his reviews assess licensing and regulatory standing, payment method range and verified withdrawal speeds, game library sourcing (including software provider verification), and mobile performance. He does not accept operator self-descriptions at face value and routinely reads licence conditions published by the relevant regulatory authority, including the Malta Gaming Authority and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Editorial Independence and Policy
Ian’s reviews and editorial output are not influenced by commercial relationships between Casino.org and the operators he covers. Casino.org maintains a separation between its commercial partnerships and its editorial assessments, and Ian operates within that framework.
He does not receive payment from operators in exchange for positive coverage. Where a casino holds a listing or advertising arrangement with Casino.org, that relationship has no bearing on how Ian rates or describes the product in editorial content. Unfavourable findings are published regardless of commercial status.
His assessments are based on direct testing, regulatory records, verified user feedback, and comparison against established industry standards. Where a casino fails to meet minimum standards for security, licensing, or player protection, that failure is documented clearly and without qualification.
Ian’s content is subject to internal editorial review before publication. Factual claims are checked against primary sources, including operator terms, regulator databases, and publicly available financial or legal documentation where relevant.
Responsible Gambling Commitment
Ian treats responsible gambling as a fixed part of the review process, not an afterthought. Every casino he reviews is assessed for the tools it provides to players who want to manage their gambling activity. This includes deposit limits, session time controls, self-exclusion options, and clear links to independent support services.
He does not write content that frames gambling as a reliable income source or understates the risks involved. His guides for New Zealand players include information about the resources available through the New Zealand national problem gambling helpline and related support organisations.
Where an operator’s responsible gambling provisions fall below what regulators or industry bodies recommend, that shortfall is documented in the review.
Staying Current in iGaming
The regulatory environment for online gambling changes frequently, and Ian’s process for staying up to date is deliberate rather than incidental. He monitors regulatory announcements from licensing bodies including the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and US state-level gaming authorities on a regular basis.
He follows EGR Global for business intelligence and operator news, Gambling Insider for industry analysis, and NEXT.io for developments on the technology side of the industry. Attending conferences such as ICE London and SiGMA World provides access to information that does not always make it into trade publications.
For the New Zealand market specifically, he follows legislative developments and operator announcements relevant to Kiwi players, including licensing changes and shifts in how offshore platforms approach the market.
Get in Touch
Ian is reachable for editorial corrections, factual disputes, or questions about casino content published on Casino.org.
If you have found an error in one of his articles or guides, he wants to know. Accuracy is the basis of everything on this page, and corrections are taken seriously and addressed promptly.
For questions about specific casino reviews, bonus assessments, or regulatory information he has published, include the relevant page URL in your message so he can locate the content quickly.
Ian does not accept unsolicited promotional submissions, paid review requests, or affiliate arrangement enquiries through this contact channel. Commercial enquiries should be directed to Casino.org’s editorial and partnerships team through the site’s official contact page.