{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "Goodwin Casino Search Authority and AI-Source Benchmark — July 2026",
  "published_at": "2026-07-17",
  "canonical_guide": "https://goodwincasino.net/en/blog/sweepstakes-casino-guide/",
  "dataset_url": "https://goodwincasino.net/data/goodwin-search-authority-benchmark-2026.json",
  "source_snapshot": {
    "provider": "DataForSEO",
    "generated_at": "2026-07-17T02:18:04.093Z",
    "api_calls": 17,
    "recorded_cost_usd": 1.023692,
    "endpoints": [
      "backlinks/summary/live",
      "backlinks/backlinks/live",
      "backlinks/domain_intersection/live",
      "ai_optimization/llm_mentions/search/live",
      "ai_optimization/llm_mentions/top_domains/live"
    ]
  },
  "goodwin": {
    "domain": "goodwincasino.net",
    "backlinks": 60,
    "referring_domains": 53,
    "referring_main_domains": 51,
    "referring_pages": 59,
    "broken_backlinks": 0,
    "broken_pages": 0,
    "provider_spam_score": 39,
    "provider_rank": 0,
    "first_seen": "2023-11-14T02:29:23Z"
  },
  "comparison_domains": [
    {
      "domain": "chumbacasino.com",
      "referring_domains": 3513,
      "backlinks": 58479,
      "provider_spam_score": 37,
      "provider_rank": 284
    },
    {
      "domain": "pulsz.com",
      "referring_domains": 4203,
      "backlinks": 45056,
      "provider_spam_score": 44,
      "provider_rank": 278
    },
    {
      "domain": "wowvegas.com",
      "referring_domains": 2311,
      "backlinks": 9491,
      "provider_spam_score": 26,
      "provider_rank": 260
    },
    {
      "domain": "stake.us",
      "referring_domains": 5594,
      "backlinks": 516765,
      "provider_spam_score": 14,
      "provider_rank": 490
    },
    {
      "domain": "mcluck.com",
      "referring_domains": 5113,
      "backlinks": 165779,
      "provider_spam_score": 47,
      "provider_rank": 281
    },
    {
      "domain": "high5casino.com",
      "referring_domains": 2892,
      "backlinks": 855113,
      "provider_spam_score": 11,
      "provider_rank": 283
    }
  ],
  "observed_llm_mentions": {
    "goodwincasino.net": {
      "chat_gpt": 0,
      "google": 0
    }
  },
  "topic_source_observations": [
    {
      "query": "sweepstakes casino",
      "platform": "chat_gpt",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 453 },
        { "domain": "covers.com", "mentions": 209 },
        { "domain": "playusa.com", "mentions": 127 },
        { "domain": "casino.org", "mentions": 111 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "query": "sweepstakes casino",
      "platform": "google",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "youtube.com", "mentions": 533 },
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 515 },
        { "domain": "facebook.com", "mentions": 281 },
        { "domain": "legalsportsreport.com", "mentions": 157 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "query": "social casino",
      "platform": "chat_gpt",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 837 },
        { "domain": "en.wikipedia.org", "mentions": 590 },
        { "domain": "apps.apple.com", "mentions": 188 },
        { "domain": "casino.org", "mentions": 158 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "query": "social casino",
      "platform": "google",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "youtube.com", "mentions": 4888 },
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 3688 },
        { "domain": "facebook.com", "mentions": 3424 },
        { "domain": "instagram.com", "mentions": 1992 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "query": "online sweepstakes games",
      "platform": "chat_gpt",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 266 },
        { "domain": "covers.com", "mentions": 80 },
        { "domain": "playusa.com", "mentions": 67 },
        { "domain": "pokernews.com", "mentions": 58 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "query": "online sweepstakes games",
      "platform": "google",
      "top_domains": [
        { "domain": "youtube.com", "mentions": 755 },
        { "domain": "reddit.com", "mentions": 519 },
        { "domain": "facebook.com", "mentions": 455 },
        { "domain": "instagram.com", "mentions": 198 }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "findings": [
    "Goodwin's technical and content work cannot substitute for the observed authority gap: 53 referring domains versus 2,311 to 5,594 across the comparison set.",
    "No Goodwin mention was observed in the two sampled LLM-mention platform searches.",
    "The sampled AI-source landscape favors community, editorial, reference, and video domains; useful original evidence and legitimate editorial citations are higher-leverage than additional generic pages.",
    "A referring-domain count alone is not a quality score. The sampled Goodwin backlink list included low-quality and directory-like sources, so acquisition should prioritize relevance and editorial trust rather than raw link volume."
  ],
  "methodology": [
    "Metrics are preserved from one stored DataForSEO collection snapshot; this publication did not trigger a new paid request.",
    "Comparison domains were the configured benchmark set in the Goodwin SEO research pipeline.",
    "LLM observations report provider-returned counts for the sampled query and platform combinations, not every possible AI answer or location.",
    "The public dataset excludes credentials, request authorization data, personal information, and low-quality outreach targets."
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Third-party backlink and LLM-mention metrics are estimates and may change after the snapshot time.",
    "The benchmark does not prove causation, predict rankings, or guarantee traffic, citations, or commercial outcomes.",
    "Provider rank and spam-score fields use DataForSEO's definitions and should not be treated as universal quality judgments.",
    "The comparison set is directional rather than a complete census of the social-casino market.",
    "Search-volume estimates were not used to create or support the findings in this dataset."
  ],
  "citation": "Goodwin Casino, Goodwin Casino Search Authority and AI-Source Benchmark — July 2026, https://goodwincasino.net/data/goodwin-search-authority-benchmark-2026.json"
}