BananaBread
Administrator
Meet the Leanbackplayer editorial team. We are a small group of casino, sportsbook and responsible-gambling writers across seven countries, with primary accounts at over 100 online operators between us. Each writer is a real person, with a beat we own and a payout track record we test from our own pockets.
This page exists for transparency. When you read a Leanbackplayer review, you should be able to look up who wrote it, where they sit, what they specialise in, and how to reach them. The thread you are reading is the one place all seven bylines live together.
Last updated May 2026.
Ryan MacKenzie - Canada
Toronto-based iGaming reviewer covering the Canadian market for nine years. Tracks AGCO-licensed Ontario operators (iGaming Ontario), provincial monopolies (PlayNow BC/MB, Loto-Québec, OLG, Espacejeux) and offshore CA-facing brands. Tests Interac e-Transfer, Instadebit and Interac Online payouts on every review. Watches CRA reporting thresholds and provincial age limits (18 in QC/AB/MB, 19 elsewhere). Cross-checks player complaints on AskGamblers and CasinoMeister. Toronto, ON.
Profile: Ryan MacKenzie
Marius Connolfield - United States
Twenty-two years on US casino floors (Harrah's Reno 2003-2008, Eldorado 2008-2017), eight years as a full-time online casino reviewer for the US offshore market. Player accounts at over 40 operators. Specialises in payout speed (Bitcoin, Cash App, Voucher), bonus terms that actually clear, and dispute response on Curacao, Anjouan and Kahnawake licensors. Reno NV.
Profile: Marius Connolfield
Tom Ashby - United Kingdom (crypto)
Crypto-first casino reviewer covering UK and global Bitcoin gambling since 2019. Former product analyst at Revolut, moved into crypto-rail casino testing when DeFi yields collapsed in 2022. Tracks Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and Lightning withdrawal speed across 30+ offshore operators. Bristol, UK.
Profile: Tom Ashby
Jack Whitlow - Australia
Sydney-based pokies and casino reviewer covering AU online gambling since 2018. Six years on the floor at The Star Sydney before moving to online review work. Specialises in PayID withdrawal testing, AU bank tolerance for offshore deposits, and IGA 2001 grey-market navigation. Tested cashier flow at 25+ AU-facing offshore brands. Sydney NSW.
Profile: Jack Whitlow
Lena Brandt - Germany / DACH
Munich-based casino reviewer covering the German-language market since 2020. Started writing about EU online gambling regulation during the GlueStV 2021 transition. Native German, fluent English. Specialises in DE and AT licensed operators (GGL, OBA), SEPA withdrawal speed, and the 5,3 percent Spieleinsatzsteuer. Tests cashier flow monthly across 20+ DE-licensed and offshore EU brands. Munich, Germany.
Profile: Lena Brandt
Luca Moretti - Italy
Rome-born casino journalist covering the Italian iGaming market since 2010. Former staff writer at Il Sole 24 Ore on regulated industries (2008-2014), covered the ADM (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli) licensing regime since its 2011 expansion. Specialises in ADM-licensed operators, SiSal and Lottomatica retail integration, and offshore Italian-language brands. Native Italian. Rome, Italy.
Profile: Luca Moretti
Diogo Marques - Portugal / European football
Lisbon-based sportsbook reviewer covering EPL, La Liga, Serie A and Champions League betting markets. Lifelong Sporting CP fan, has followed Cristiano Ronaldo's career through Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al Nassr. Started writing about football betting in 2016 during the Euro 2016 Portugal run. Tests odds, parlay holds and same-game-parlay efficiency across 15+ EU and offshore sportsbooks. Lisbon, Portugal.
Profile: Diogo Marques
Camille Roux - France and EU
Paris-based reviewer covering EU-regulated and offshore casinos for French-speaking and broader European markets. Tracks ANJ (France), ADM/AAMS (Italy), DGOJ (Spain), GGL (Germany) and Curacao 2024-onward licence transitions. Tests SEPA, Bizum, Trustly and iDEAL payouts on every review. Watches MGA enforcement and EU CRMM compliance. Cross-checks IBAS and AGCC complaints data. Paris, FR.
Profile: Camille Roux
Jen Tanaka - United Kingdom (non-Gamstop and RG)
London-based researcher and writer covering UK responsible gambling and the offshore non-Gamstop market. Background in fintech compliance (former AML lead at a London neobank), pivoted to gambling research in 2021 after the Gambling Act review. Specialises in non-Gamstop operator due diligence, GAMSTOP self-exclusion mechanics, and the offshore licensing reality for UK players. UK-Japanese, raised in Bristol, lives in north London.
Profile: Jen Tanaka
Every reviewer on this team holds active funded player accounts at the operators they cover. We deposit, play, request KYC, and withdraw on a quarterly cycle minimum. We time payouts ourselves, document dispute responses, and rotate licensing checks every six months.
We do not accept paid placement on review rankings. We accept affiliate revenue on outbound links, which is disclosed on each reviewer profile and on every review post that contains tracker URLs. Affiliate revenue does not change the rank order or the test results.
Every reviewer is reachable through their xenForo profile linked above. You can reply to any thread on this forum and the byline author will see it.
For corrections, factual disputes, or RG concerns about a recommendation, post on the relevant thread and tag the byline author. We aim for a 48-hour response on weekdays.
For press, partnership or licensing questions: contact the site admin through the xenForo Contact form.
If something we have published is wrong, tell the byline author and we will fix it.
Leanbackplayer editorial team
This page exists for transparency. When you read a Leanbackplayer review, you should be able to look up who wrote it, where they sit, what they specialise in, and how to reach them. The thread you are reading is the one place all seven bylines live together.
Last updated May 2026.
Casino reviewers
Ryan MacKenzie - Canada
Toronto-based iGaming reviewer covering the Canadian market for nine years. Tracks AGCO-licensed Ontario operators (iGaming Ontario), provincial monopolies (PlayNow BC/MB, Loto-Québec, OLG, Espacejeux) and offshore CA-facing brands. Tests Interac e-Transfer, Instadebit and Interac Online payouts on every review. Watches CRA reporting thresholds and provincial age limits (18 in QC/AB/MB, 19 elsewhere). Cross-checks player complaints on AskGamblers and CasinoMeister. Toronto, ON.
Profile: Ryan MacKenzie
Marius Connolfield - United States
Twenty-two years on US casino floors (Harrah's Reno 2003-2008, Eldorado 2008-2017), eight years as a full-time online casino reviewer for the US offshore market. Player accounts at over 40 operators. Specialises in payout speed (Bitcoin, Cash App, Voucher), bonus terms that actually clear, and dispute response on Curacao, Anjouan and Kahnawake licensors. Reno NV.
Profile: Marius Connolfield
Tom Ashby - United Kingdom (crypto)
Crypto-first casino reviewer covering UK and global Bitcoin gambling since 2019. Former product analyst at Revolut, moved into crypto-rail casino testing when DeFi yields collapsed in 2022. Tracks Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and Lightning withdrawal speed across 30+ offshore operators. Bristol, UK.
Profile: Tom Ashby
Jack Whitlow - Australia
Sydney-based pokies and casino reviewer covering AU online gambling since 2018. Six years on the floor at The Star Sydney before moving to online review work. Specialises in PayID withdrawal testing, AU bank tolerance for offshore deposits, and IGA 2001 grey-market navigation. Tested cashier flow at 25+ AU-facing offshore brands. Sydney NSW.
Profile: Jack Whitlow
Lena Brandt - Germany / DACH
Munich-based casino reviewer covering the German-language market since 2020. Started writing about EU online gambling regulation during the GlueStV 2021 transition. Native German, fluent English. Specialises in DE and AT licensed operators (GGL, OBA), SEPA withdrawal speed, and the 5,3 percent Spieleinsatzsteuer. Tests cashier flow monthly across 20+ DE-licensed and offshore EU brands. Munich, Germany.
Profile: Lena Brandt
Luca Moretti - Italy
Rome-born casino journalist covering the Italian iGaming market since 2010. Former staff writer at Il Sole 24 Ore on regulated industries (2008-2014), covered the ADM (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli) licensing regime since its 2011 expansion. Specialises in ADM-licensed operators, SiSal and Lottomatica retail integration, and offshore Italian-language brands. Native Italian. Rome, Italy.
Profile: Luca Moretti
Sportsbook reviewer
Diogo Marques - Portugal / European football
Lisbon-based sportsbook reviewer covering EPL, La Liga, Serie A and Champions League betting markets. Lifelong Sporting CP fan, has followed Cristiano Ronaldo's career through Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al Nassr. Started writing about football betting in 2016 during the Euro 2016 Portugal run. Tests odds, parlay holds and same-game-parlay efficiency across 15+ EU and offshore sportsbooks. Lisbon, Portugal.
Profile: Diogo Marques
Camille Roux - France and EU
Paris-based reviewer covering EU-regulated and offshore casinos for French-speaking and broader European markets. Tracks ANJ (France), ADM/AAMS (Italy), DGOJ (Spain), GGL (Germany) and Curacao 2024-onward licence transitions. Tests SEPA, Bizum, Trustly and iDEAL payouts on every review. Watches MGA enforcement and EU CRMM compliance. Cross-checks IBAS and AGCC complaints data. Paris, FR.
Profile: Camille Roux
Responsible gambling researcher
Jen Tanaka - United Kingdom (non-Gamstop and RG)
London-based researcher and writer covering UK responsible gambling and the offshore non-Gamstop market. Background in fintech compliance (former AML lead at a London neobank), pivoted to gambling research in 2021 after the Gambling Act review. Specialises in non-Gamstop operator due diligence, GAMSTOP self-exclusion mechanics, and the offshore licensing reality for UK players. UK-Japanese, raised in Bristol, lives in north London.
Profile: Jen Tanaka
How we test
Every reviewer on this team holds active funded player accounts at the operators they cover. We deposit, play, request KYC, and withdraw on a quarterly cycle minimum. We time payouts ourselves, document dispute responses, and rotate licensing checks every six months.
We do not accept paid placement on review rankings. We accept affiliate revenue on outbound links, which is disclosed on each reviewer profile and on every review post that contains tracker URLs. Affiliate revenue does not change the rank order or the test results.
How to reach the team
Every reviewer is reachable through their xenForo profile linked above. You can reply to any thread on this forum and the byline author will see it.
For corrections, factual disputes, or RG concerns about a recommendation, post on the relevant thread and tag the byline author. We aim for a 48-hour response on weekdays.
For press, partnership or licensing questions: contact the site admin through the xenForo Contact form.
Country and topic coverage
- United States (real money offshore casinos): Marius Connolfield
- United Kingdom (crypto-first): Tom Ashby
- United Kingdom (non-Gamstop and RG): Jen Tanaka
- Australia (pokies, PayID): Jack Whitlow
- Germany / Austria / Switzerland (GGL and offshore): Lena Brandt
- Italy (ADM and offshore): Luca Moretti
- Portugal / European football betting: Diogo Marques
- Canada (AGCO, iGO and offshore): Ryan MacKenzie
- France and EU (ANJ, ADM, DGOJ, GGL and offshore): Camille Roux
Editorial standards
- Every recommendation backed by a personal payout in the previous 90 days
- Every brand mention disclosed when it carries an affiliate link
- No content paid for, sponsored, or supplied by operators
- Responsible gambling resources on every review post (NCPG, GA, BZgA, GamCare, Spielsuchthilfe, SOS Spielsucht, depending on region)
- Self-exclusion paths surfaced in every market we cover (state programs, GAMSTOP, OASIS)
- 18+ or 21+ as applicable by jurisdiction
If something we have published is wrong, tell the byline author and we will fix it.
Leanbackplayer editorial team
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