In play since 2007 · Casino.org

Martin
Backhouse

Content Editor · 15+ Years in iGaming

From compiling sports odds to editing casino content — fifteen-plus years on both sides of the industry, and he still plays the games he writes about.

Martin Backhouse, Content Editor at Casino.org
Martin Backhouse
Content Editor · Casino.org
Active since2007
FocusSports & Casino
BaseUnited Kingdom

Scouting report

How he got here

Martin's path started nowhere near a casino floor. Fresh out of the University of Bedfordshire with a degree in Sport Management, he spent his early years buried in sports betting — until a former boss, short-staffed on the casino side, asked if he'd fancy switching lanes. He hadn't considered it before, but between an existing soft spot for casino visits and a genuine love of the sheer range of games on offer — roulette, poker, live game shows, slots — the move made sense almost immediately.

What began as enjoying the games turned into a habit of writing about them, and that habit turned into a career spanning customer service, marketing, and editorial roles at some of the industry's bigger names. These days, writing for Casino.org means he can give advice the way a player would want to receive it — because he still is one.

2024 — now
Content Editor
Casino.org
Mar – Jun 2024
Content Team Lead
Gentoo
Aug 2023 – Feb 2024
Senior Content Manager
Gentoo
Jul 2018 – Jul 2023
Content Manager
Gentoo
Sep 2017 – Jun 2018
Content Specialist
Protipster

Earlier roles trace back to 2007, on the sports betting side of the industry.

At a glance

Facts, figures & a degree

15+ YEARS

In iGaming since 2007 — through multiple platform generations and regulatory waves.

Where it startedHe began on the sports betting side before moving across into casino content.
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HONEST TAKE

Reviews come from an active player account, not a press kit.

Skin in the gameHe tests deposits, bonuses and withdrawals himself before a word gets written.
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1,000+ PIECES

Sports betting, slots, casino guides — a byline spanning most of the industry.

Still growingThe archive dates back to 2007 and gets added to every week.
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MANY HATS

Customer service, marketing and editorial roles all shape his approach.

Why it mattersEvery hat left him better equipped to write for players, not just about them.
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43ARTICLES WRITTEN
31FACT-CHECKED
16EXPERT INSIGHTS
350+BONUSES TESTED
B.A. Sport Management
University of Bedfordshire
Sep 2004 – Jun 2007

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Table talk

Reading the table: on blackjack variants

Pre-game checklist

  • Licence and legal status confirmed — before anything else.
  • Favourite slots from the biggest providers are actually in the lobby.
  • Customer support that responds properly, not just a chatbot script.
  • Preferred payment method, with genuinely fast payout times.
  • A mobile experience that doesn't feel like an afterthought.
  • A welcome bonus that's fair to clear, not just big on paper.

Math over flair

Martin's not shy about saying most players get drawn in by a table's theme long before they ever check the numbers underneath — and that gap is exactly where bad value tends to hide. His baseline test: a game paying 6:5 on a natural instead of the standard 3:2 has already tilted the table further against the player, however good the graphics look.

Know the history, spot the reskin

He traces a lot of confusion back to not knowing how blackjack evolved — early physical-table formats set the template most digital variants still follow. Recognising that history is what lets a sharp player tell a genuinely better ruleset apart from a reskinned copy. Deck count and splitting rules are where he starts, every time.

Rules beat betting systems

On strategy, he's blunt about progressive systems like the Martingale — entertaining in theory, unreliable in practice. The real edge, in his view, comes from clean rules: doubling down after a split, hitting soft totals advantageously, not chasing losses through bet sizing.

As discussed with Blackjack Review Network, July 2026

Off the clock

Staying match-fit

Reading list

  • iGBDaily industry insight, news and analysis, checked like clockwork.
  • iGamingFutureHis pick for spotting where the industry is headed next.
  • SBC NewsReliable coverage of the bigger global iGaming stories.

Fixtures worth attending

  • ICE BarcelonaFirst attended in 2009 — still the best event on the calendar, now relocated from London.
  • Canadian Gambling Summit150+ speakers deep into the Canadian market.
  • SiGMA EuropeHasn't made it himself yet, but rates it as the go-to alternative when ICE isn't an option.

Gambling and writing are my two favourite things, so getting to combine them isn't lost on me. Responsibly, always — but with so many casinos and bonuses out there, most players just need someone to help them cut through the noise. That's the job.

Forced to name one game for life, he'd land on Tarasque by Print Studios — a Cluster Pays slot with a medieval theme, sharp visuals, and enough chaos on the reels to keep 2024's best releases honest.

— M.B.

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