Cosmolot: Innovating in the Midst of Crisis
The team at Cosmolot, Ukraine’s first licensed online casino, has fully experienced what it’s like to be an innovator during times of war. But Ukrainians never give up, so Cosmolot not only continued its operations but also became a trendsetter in the gambling industry. Dmitry Dyachenko, the head of operations at the company, shared how they managed to do this and what innovations were implemented on the platform in an interview with 24 Channel.
How did Cosmolot handle the full-scale invasion and what challenges did you face?
On February 24th, it was a shock for all of us. People were not in the mood for entertainment, so our metrics dropped more than five times, and it was a disaster.
We managed to relocate some of our employees to Western Ukraine, where we had set up a headquarters in advance. We helped many of them with relocation and accommodation. Within two weeks, the company resumed its operations. It took us the same amount of time to ensure the safety of our team, as with the start of the war, it became our main task at Cosmolot. It was important for each employee to find a safe place for themselves and their families.
The first step we took was to check all international partners for any Russian connections. As it turned out, the aggressor country did not receive anything from us, not even through third-party companies. We also immediately blocked people with Russian documents from accessing and registering on our website. We established a line of psychological and legal support for employees and their families within the company. Once the shock period passed, we resumed communication and adapted it to the wartime conditions. The website now includes links to charitable foundations and official news.
What has changed since then, and how have these changes helped you adapt to the new conditions?
At first, we didn’t fully understand how to communicate with players, but we noticed that people were gradually returning, and games became a stress reliever for them, helping them distract from the flow of news. So, we can say that it was the users who inspired us to return to work.
While our competitors didn’t know what to do, we started communicating. But it wasn’t aimed at conversion. It’s not appropriate to encourage people to gamble and promise them a good life during war. Instead, we analyzed what people feel when they watch TV or read the news, what they talk about among themselves. And we thought about how we could help Ukrainians.
Initially, it was the “Let’s Burn Cotton Together” campaign, and later the “Hell for the Russians” campaign, within which we created an interactive platform called “Add Heat to the Russians,” where people could donate by lighting a fire under the occupiers’ hellish cauldron.
The funds from all our campaigns go to the “Return Alive” fund. Based on feedback from clients, we realized that this communication resonates both within the company and in the hearts of Ukrainians. It also shapes the right perception of the brand, which is very important to us.
If there are periodic news about other gambling platforms not leaving the Russian or Belarusian markets, you won’t find such news about Cosmolot because we are a Ukrainian product that operates only in Ukraine.
We also have a principled position with our partners, which has become even stronger during the war. We carefully monitor that game providers have no connection to the aggressor country. Therefore, we work with developers from all over the world, except the CIS.
Cosmolot’s Patriotic Campaign: Video
You mentioned that within patriotic advertising campaigns, you collected donations for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Tell us more about this direction. How much money has been raised and for whom?
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, we have already donated about 5.5 million hryvnias to the needs of the military. The funds were donated to large funds such as “Return Alive,” but we also fulfilled local requests from our employees, many of whom have been involved in volunteering since February 24th, as well as those who themselves or whose relatives are currently on the front lines.
We also helped players who approached us to meet their needs for body armor or helmets. We purchased equipment for individual battalions, such as drones, thermal imagers, radios, and more. For this, the company received gratitude from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Golden Commemorative Badge of the 74th Reconnaissance Battalion.
Currently, we are hosting the “Free and Independent” tournament, which will run until September 25th. Within this tournament, we will donate 1 million hryvnias to the “Return Alive” fund and the UNITED24 fund.
By the way, about tournaments – is it a common thing in the gambling world or is it your unique offering for players?
Tournaments are a good tool that many underestimate in this market. Of course, there are network tournaments that game developers organize on online casino platforms. In such cases, the game provider offers a prize pool of, for example, 100,000 euros, but all connected casinos will compete for them. So, these 100,000 euros are claimed by 300 casinos, and the likelihood that a Cosmolot player will take a prize place is extremely low.
In other words, there is a tournament, but there is no prize. The tournaments organized by Cosmolot are our own, and the entire announced prize pool is intended only for players on our platform.
Another advantage of our tournaments is equal opportunities for all participants regardless of their budget. It is also important that in almost every Cosmolot tournament, in addition to the announced prize pool, we contribute our own funds to charity.
Myth-busting and Promoting Responsible Gambling
In Ukraine, there are still many myths about online casinos and the people who choose this form of entertainment. What message do you convey to users to change their biased perception?
First and foremost, it is important to understand that our players are ordinary people, Ukrainians, businessmen, programmers, military personnel, etc. Online casinos are a means of relaxation for them, just like watching a movie, having a party with friends, or simply taking a walk in nature.
Cosmolot is a platform where you can enjoy the game, relax, and relieve stress. We not only make the gaming process exciting but also provide quality feedback to our clients. We promote responsible gambling standards and advocate for the entire market to operate legally.
What does “licensed online casino” mean for players, and what guarantees does it provide for them?
Being a licensed casino means having an official permit for gambling activities in Ukraine from the state regulator and making an annual license payment of 23.4 million hryvnias. For players, this means having certified games from international partners on the Cosmolot platform.
Such casinos are commonly referred to as “white” because they have the highest payout rate, RTP (return to player) – the amount of money returned to players from the game. In Cosmolot, all slots are licensed, so if a person wins, they are guaranteed to receive their full winnings.
A licensed casino also ensures the player’s safety in terms of protecting their personal data. Players undergo mandatory verification on the website, which prevents people under 21 years old and those registered as gambling addicts from participating in the games.
It is worth noting that a licensed online casino is not about instant profit but about long-term play. Our goal is to provide players with relaxation and positive emotions because we want them to come back to us again and again.
Learning from and Teaching the International Market
In the wave of Ukrainian popularity worldwide, many companies strive to expand their geography. Can Ukrainian gambling products interest foreign players? Is there anything we can learn from them or, conversely, teach them something new?
International gambling is different in general. If we talk about sharing experiences, of course, there are things we learn from them, such as management systems, business structures. But when it comes to customer orientation, they could learn from us.
We are truly better in the service aspect. For example, if a player doesn’t receive their money within 2 hours after clicking the “Withdraw” button – it’s a disaster, they will break the support chat and make a fuss. On foreign gambling platforms, on the contrary, the waiting time can be up to two business days, even stated in the rules.
In some international online casinos, payment solutions don’t work on weekends. At Cosmolot, you can rely on 24/7 support, and if you submit a withdrawal request at 3 am, you will receive your funds by 5 am at the latest.
Our Plans for the Future
We understand that we have the opportunity to work thanks to those who protect us on the front lines. Therefore, our priority for investments has been and remains the army. By consciously giving up ambitious business projects, we will continue to work with large charitable foundations and support local requests. And I hope that over time, this support will be even greater than it is now.
We also plan to continue our patriotic information campaign, which improves users’ mood and strengthens their belief in victory. And, of course, we will look at international markets because we see great potential in our products and interest from other providers. We will continue to break stereotypes and promote legal gambling and responsible gaming principles in Ukraine.
In conclusion, I would like to quote the author of the article: “Cosmolot: Innovating in the Midst of Crisis.”
Джерело: 24tv.ua
Марія Іванова головний редактор сайту Надзвичайні новини України – визнана фахівчиня в галузі журналістики, яка віддано присвятила своє життя розкриттю новин та подій, що впливають на сучасне суспільство України. З юності вона виявляла захоплення словом, а пізніше обравши журналістику своїм шляхом, завоювала високий авторитет в цій галузі. Наразі вона є головним автором для матчу Фінал Ліги чемпіонів УЄФА 2024 – Боруссія Д. – Реал
