What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit websites. In the UK, their use is regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). These files help websites remember information about your visit, such as preferred language and other settings. Unlike many tracking cookies used for advertising, we only use essential and functional cookies that enhance your experience without compromising privacy. Our cookies cannot execute code or deliver viruses, and they can't access other information on your computer. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides detailed guidance on cookie usage that we strictly follow.
Essential Cookies
These necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. Under UK law, we don't need your consent for these cookies. They include session cookies that maintain your secure connection and load-balancing cookies that distribute traffic across servers. Without these cookies, our website wouldn't work properly. For example, they prevent malicious users from hijacking your session and ensure pages load quickly during peak times. We've configured these cookies to automatically expire after 24 hours of inactivity or when you close your browser, in line with UK data protection best practices.
Preference Cookies
These cookies remember choices you make to improve your experience, such as text size or region preferences. While not essential, they make the site more convenient for UK users by remembering your location for displaying relevant gambling regulations. For instance, they might store your preference for viewing stakes in GBP rather than other currencies. These cookies typically last for 30 days before expiring, after which you'll need to reset your preferences. Unlike many commercial sites, we don't use these cookies to build advertising profiles. The UK Gambling Commission recommends such non-intrusive approaches for gambling information sites.
Analytics Cookies
We use limited analytics cookies to understand how visitors interact with our content. These help us identify popular pages and improve navigation. In compliance with UK GDPR, we've configured Google Analytics to anonymize IP addresses before processing. Our analytics cookies track aggregate data rather than individual behavior, focusing on metrics like page views and average session duration. We don't use these to track users across sites or build marketing profiles. The data helps us maintain content relevance for UK gamblers, such as prioritizing reviews of platforms popular in specific regions like London or Manchester.
Third-Party Cookies
Unlike many gambling affiliates, we minimize third-party cookies. The only exceptions are secure payment processors when you make voluntary donations. These services may set cookies for fraud prevention. We've disabled all social media plugins and advertising trackers that typically place cookies. When we link to UKGC-licensed operators, those sites will have their own cookie policies. We recommend reviewing these before signing up. Our technical team conducts monthly audits to ensure no unexpected third-party cookies are present, exceeding standard UK compliance requirements.
Cookie Duration
Our cookies have carefully considered expiration periods balancing usability with privacy. Session cookies expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies have maximum lifespans ranging from 24 hours to 30 days, significantly shorter than industry averages. We don't use indefinite or multi-year cookies common on commercial sites. The UK ICO recommends such limited durations for non-essential cookies. For example, our language preference cookie lasts 7 days, while analytics cookies expire after 14 days. This approach minimizes data retention while maintaining basic functionality UK users expect.
Cookie Security
All our cookies are transmitted securely via HTTPS and have the Secure attribute set. We use SameSite cookie attributes to prevent CSRF attacks, a security best practice emphasized by the UK National Cyber Security Centre. Session cookies are marked HttpOnly to prevent JavaScript access. We've implemented strict Content Security Policies that limit where cookies can be set. Regular penetration tests verify our cookie security measures. Unlike gambling operators that must balance convenience with security, we prioritize protection as an information resource. Our approach exceeds standard UK gambling affiliate security practices.
Mobile Considerations
On mobile devices, cookies function similarly but have additional privacy implications. We've optimized our cookie usage for mobile browsers, avoiding resource-intensive tracking scripts. Our website detects mobile users to set appropriate cookie parameters - for example, smaller cookie sizes that don't impact performance. UK mobile providers like EE and O2 often compress web traffic, which can affect cookie behavior. We've tested our implementation across major UK networks to ensure reliability. Unlike gambling apps that require extensive permissions, our mobile web version maintains minimal, transparent cookie usage.
Managing Cookies
UK users can control cookies through browser settings. In Chrome, access Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies. Firefox users can manage cookies under Preferences > Privacy & Security. Safari's settings are found in Preferences > Privacy. Most browsers allow blocking third-party cookies while accepting first-party ones. However, blocking all cookies may prevent some site features from working. The UK ICO website provides detailed guidance on cookie management for different browsers. Unlike gambling operators that rely heavily on cookies, our site remains largely functional even with cookies disabled, though preferences won't be saved.
Contact & Updates
For cookie-related inquiries, contact our Data Protection Officer at support@newreviewsite-uk.com. We review this policy annually or when UK regulations change, with updates published on this page. Significant changes will be announced via site notifications for 30 days. The Gambling Commission's License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) influence our approach to data protection. While not a licensed operator, we voluntarily adhere to relevant provisions. Our cookie practices were last updated on 1st January 2025 to reflect the UK's post-Brexit data protection framework.