How the Journal Is Written

Every entry in the Journal follows the same documented process. This page sets it out so you can judge the work and know where its facts come from.

How do we choose topics?

Topics come from search demand data: we look at what people actually search for about licensing, regulators, self-exclusion and complaints, such as one state's licence application or its exclusion list, and write the entry that answers it from the rules themselves. Each entry belongs to one desk, so the Journal builds a complete account of each institution over time.

Which sources do we rely on?

Gaming regulation is written down, so we go to the documents themselves:

• Statutes. The gaming acts that create each regulator and set its powers, and federal law such as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act where it applies.
• Regulations and administrative rules. The regulator's own rules on licence classes, fees, suitability, exclusion programmes and patron disputes.
• Regulator forms and guidance. Application forms, fee schedules, published decisions and official guidance.
• Official statistics and reports. Annual reports and published figures where an entry needs a number.
• Operator terms. Where an entry turns on what an operator promises, its published terms.

Each entry lists its references at the foot of the page, and links sit on the claims they support.

How are entries written and checked?

Entries are drafted with the help of AI writing tools, working from the sources gathered for that entry. Before publication, automated checks test each draft for sourcing, links and figures: every figure must trace to a cited source, links must resolve, and a draft that fails is held back. We do not claim that a lawyer or a human expert has reviewed each entry, and we do not test operators or their complaint processes.

What are the limits of an entry?

Rules, fees and procedures change by statute and rulemaking. An entry describes the rules as published when it was written or last updated. It is a guide to the institution, not legal advice, and the regulator's current text always prevails.

How do corrections work?

If an entry misstates a rule or a figure, tell us through our contact form and cite the provision if you can. We check it against the primary source and correct it if it is wrong. An entry that changes in substance shows the date of its update.

How are entries updated?

We revisit entries when a statute, rule or fee schedule changes, or when the facts they rely on go stale. The update date on each page tells you when that last happened.