Roman Balashov: responsible play as a factor of brand trust in the industry

Setting limits is becoming a basic element of digital hygiene — where a conscious player defines their own boundaries before the game even starts. At LLC "CITYKOD" (BETON brand) we make responsible play a noticeable part of the company's daily work.

Player protection tools in BETON practice The highest demand among our users is for temporary breaks, the so-called cool-off lasting from 24 hours to a month. Equally in demand are daily limits that a person sets for themselves. We structure our player-protection work so that automation and the human team have clearly delineated areas of responsibility. Automation handles the technical and legal barrier, i.e., makes it impossible for those prohibited by law to access the game. Support analyzes context, taking into account the user’s emotional state and markers of frustration. If we see that a problem is brewing for the user, the team acts individually: provides explanations, helps set a pause, or independently initiates account blocking with no possibility of renewal. Anti-fraud technologies and directions for the Anti-Fraud team analyze real fraud patterns and on their basis create formulas that are then integrated into the system. In it, AI acts as a “super-analyzer” of big data and within seconds highlights anomalies or non-standard behavior, including attempts to “break out of the matrix.” Our goal is to create an automated risk system of a new generation, where initial detection of complex anomalies is handled by AI, while humans remain to make well-considered decisions taking ethics and procedures into account. Visibility as the foundation of trust This year 5WPR Sports Betting & Online Gaming Public Trust Index 2026 was released, the first annual study of trust in brands in the field of sports betting and online gambling, which covered 25 of the largest operators in the US. Its authors noted that 71% of active players cannot recall any specific responsible gaming messages from the operator they use, mostly because such messages are placed in footers and rendered in small font. Their average visibility score is only 28 out of 100. The public visibility of company leaders on this topic is estimated to be about the same, at 29 out of 100. At the same time, operators who talk about responsible gaming in a noticeable way consistently show stronger tone indicators in media coverage and less often encounter reactive crisis cycles. The study describes the American market, but its findings are relevant for the Ukrainian market as well. Brand trust grows from what a person can see with their own eyes. Responsible gaming, moved from the footer to full brand communication and supported by leadership, gives the audience a clear proof that the company cares about its users.

LLC "CITYKOD". License to engage in activities related to organizing and conducting casino gambling on the Internet, issued by 20.11.2023 by the decision of KRAIL № 364 dated 03.11.2023 and License to engage in activities related to organizing bookmaker activity, issued by 10.10.2025 by the Decision of DAU PlayCity № 104-R dated 07.10.2025. Advertising. 21+