Background
Before I started testing casino withdrawal speeds for a living, I spent five years as a compliance analyst at a payment processing company in Houston. My team handled disputes, fraud investigations, and regulatory filings for merchants that processed credit card and ACH transactions. I learned how money actually moves through the financial system — the intermediaries, the hold periods, the reasons a transfer that should take minutes sometimes takes days. That knowledge turned out to be directly applicable to evaluating how online casinos handle payouts.
I joined Clear Pick Casino to build out the payment methods coverage that most review sites skip entirely. The standard approach in this industry is to list the payment methods a casino accepts and move on. I test each one. When a casino says it processes Bitcoin withdrawals in under an hour, I submit a Bitcoin withdrawal and timestamp every step from request to wallet confirmation. When they claim bank transfers arrive in 3-5 business days, I initiate the transfer and document whether that timeline holds. I have processed over 80 withdrawal tests across 12 different payment methods, and the gap between advertised speeds and actual speeds is consistently wider than operators admit.
My specialty is cryptocurrency cashout flows. Crypto withdrawals are where the biggest speed advantages exist — and where the most misleading claims are made. A casino might process Bitcoin in 10 minutes but take 48 hours for Ethereum, or require manual approval for any crypto withdrawal above $500. These details only surface through actual testing, and they are the details that matter most to players choosing a withdrawal method. I also track which casinos are adding new payment options, which are dropping support for specific cryptos, and how fee structures change over time.
Outside of work, I spend most of my free time at climbing gyms around Houston — it is the one hobby where the only variable is whether I can solve the problem in front of me. I am also a street photographer, mostly shooting in Montrose and EaDo, and I cook Vietnamese food from recipes my grandmother taught me when I was growing up in the Midland Park neighborhood. On Sundays in the fall, I am watching the Texans, usually with more optimism than the scoreboard justifies.
What I Do at Clear Pick Casino
- Withdrawal speed testing: I submit real withdrawal requests across every payment method a casino offers — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, bank wire, e-wallets, checks — and timestamp every step from request to funds received.
- Payment method verification: I confirm which deposit and withdrawal methods are actually available (not just listed), document minimum and maximum amounts, and track processing fees that are not always disclosed upfront.
- Crypto cashout analysis: I test cryptocurrency withdrawals at different amounts and times to identify patterns — automated vs. manual processing, threshold triggers for additional review, and network fee handling.
- Fee structure documentation: I track and compare withdrawal fees across methods and operators, including hidden conversion fees that some casinos apply to crypto-to-fiat transactions.
- Payment trend monitoring: I track which casinos are adding or removing payment options, how fee structures change over time, and emerging payment methods entering the offshore casino space.
Articles by Sarah Chen
Education
BS in Finance, University of Houston
Editorial Standards
My testing methodology is straightforward: I use real money, document every step, and report exactly what happens. When a casino claims 10-minute Bitcoin withdrawals, I submit the withdrawal and time it. When they list 12 payment methods on their banking page, I verify which ones are actually functional for US players.
I do not adjust findings based on affiliate relationships. If a casino's payment processing is slow, unreliable, or charges undisclosed fees, that information appears in our review regardless of other factors. The data is the data.
Our full evaluation framework is published on the Methodology page. Every claim I make in a review can be traced back to a specific test with a documented timestamp.
Affiliate Disclosure
Clear Pick Casino earns affiliate commissions when readers click links and create accounts at reviewed casinos. This commission is paid by the casino operator, not by the reader. It does not affect the terms, odds, or pricing readers receive. Our editorial process is independent of our affiliate relationships.
For questions about payment method testing or to report a withdrawal issue at a listed casino, contact sarah@eyeplaceplano.com.