The global online gambling market reached $130.2 billion in 2025, and continues to grow at an annual rate of over 10%. The key driver of this growth is mobile platforms, which have turned a smartphone into the main betting tool. Mykhailo Zborovskyi Cosmobet (ex beneficiary), one of the first in Ukraine to bet on this vector of development. He did it deliberately.

Among the leading trends of the forecast period, analysts highlight the transition to a mobile-first approach, the integration of live dealers and the development of secure digital payment systems. For the Ukrainian market, these trends are especially relevant: the regulatory reform of 2020-2023 laid the legal basis for legal eGambling, and player behavior demonstrates a stable shift from desktop to mobile.

In this article, we will look at how technological solutions combined with a transparent licensing model are shaping new standards for responsible gambling, why Eastern Europe is becoming one of the most active growth regions.

Digital Responsibility and Strategy Mykhailo Zborovskyi

The introduction of the Digital Services Act (DSA) finally ended the era of the digital Wild West. Previously, large platforms set the rules themselves and acted as sole judges in controversial situations. Now the principle is simple, what is recognized as illegal offline must be immediately restricted online. For violating these norms, companies face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. This forces businesses to reconsider their approaches to security and openness.

Mykhailo Zborovskyi, as an expert in the development of iGaming products, takes these global changes into account, as they set a vector for the entire industry standard for security, turning transparency into the main asset of the business.

Here is what the act proposes to regulate the work of online services:

● Requires platforms to explain the logic of content generation. Users gain the right to choose to see a feed generated by algorithms based on their data, or to view chronological content without intrusive profiling;

● The act explicitly prohibits manipulative design elements. For example, hiding the unsubscribe button in a confusing menu or using bright traps that force the user to mindlessly agree to data processing becomes legally unacceptable;

● Introduces simple and effective tools through which users can quickly complain about fraud, illegal content or dangerous goods.

Thanks to the Brussels effect, these standards have become a global rule. It is economically unprofitable for international companies to create different versions of their services for different regions, so they implement the same high requirements everywhere.

How exactly do the principles of DSA fit into iGaming? This issue lies in the plane of transforming gaming platforms from closed systems to transparent technological services. Considers the implementation of DSA standards as a strategic tool that can become the basis for the formation of an ethical and safe iGaming market.

Here are the arguments why this is relevant for the industry:

● The player often does not understand the principles by which the system offers bonuses or games. If the operator reveals the logic of these mechanisms, the level of trust increases. A player who sees transparent criteria perceives the platform as a partner;

● Refusal of manipulative design;

● DSA requirements for assessing systemic risks are ideally superimposed on Responsible Gaming tools. An expert is confident that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor behavior and automatically warn about risks is the best answer to the threats of gambling addiction.

The main goal of DSA is to restore trust on the Internet. The low transparency of algorithms, widespread fraud and disinformation have provoked a crisis of trust, and this act is a legislative mechanism to overcome it. By introducing mechanisms for the rapid removal of illegal content, requiring the largest players to audit systemic risks and punishing manipulative practices, the European Union is effectively investing in the security and quality of the digital environment.

Why the smartphone is becoming the center

As of mid-2024, 96% of digital space users accessed the Internet via smartphones. For the iGaming industry, this is no longer just a trend, but a fundamental change in business architecture. Ex beneficiary of Cosmobet, evaluating these indicators, relies on mobile solutions as a key interaction channel that provides flexibility and instant access to the gaming experience.

The main factors driving the growth of the mobile segment:

● The spread of 5G and the availability of smartphones have made mobile gambling available anywhere;

● Mobile-first UX and biometric security;

● Users aged 18-34 prefer smartphones as the main tool for entertainment;

● Integration of fintech solutions. The use of mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) and local payment systems authorized by biometrics makes the process of replenishing the account and withdrawing funds seamless.

How are technologies transformed into business success? A mobile platform is a tool for audience retention. Here’s how a technological approach to mobile applications increases efficiency:

● Push notifications;

● Personalization;

● Gamification and habits.

Therefore, regardless of whether you are starting product development from scratch or optimizing an existing system, the key task remains to create a seamless mobile experience. The world of gambling is becoming increasingly technological.

Regulatory control

Statistics show that with the development of games, the number of legislative restrictions is also growing, violations in the field of data protection or financial transactions are no longer limited to warnings, but entail large fines and the risk of losing a license.

Why is this being talked about now? The relevance of the topic is due to two factors: the cross-border nature of digital services and the digitalization of finance. Since players can be located in one country, and servers in another, there is a need for unified rules (such as DSA in the EU). In addition, the transition to cashless and crypto payments requires governments to strictly monitor money laundering.

Here are the main areas where regulatory pressure is setting new standards:

● Personal data protection. Legislation, in particular GDPR, requires developers to have full control over user data. Transparency of information collection, obtained player consent and the availability of tools to delete personal data are mandatory requirements for operating in the market;

● Transparency of monetization. Regulators require disclosure of item drop chances, and games with elements of chance in many jurisdictions are equated with gambling, which requires a special license;

● Age classification and content;

● Data localization and financial monitoring. The introduction of requirements for data storage within the country and verification of financial transactions minimize the risks of fraud.

"Regulation is a litmus test of business maturity. In my opinion, the complexity of the regulatory landscape is a hidden opportunity for legal players. "When we talk about data protection or payment localization, we are talking about capitalizing on trust," notes Mykhailo Zborovskyi Cosmobet (ex beneficiary). 

Cybersecurity at the heart of the iGaming industry

Recent analytics show a worrying trend. Since the beginning of 2025, the number of cyber incidents affecting casino operators and the gaming industry has increased by 400%, with phishing attacks increasing by 180% since 2023. In July 2025, Flutter Entertainment confirmed a data breach affecting 800,000 users, exposing IP addresses and gaming activity history. In March, Merkur Group suffered a catastrophic incident in which sensitive data on several platforms, including payment details and over 70,000 scanned copies of documents, was compromised due to misconfigured backend interfaces.

In addition to data theft, the number of account takeover attacks increased by 42% in the first quarter of 2025. One European bookmaker lost €1.7 million just 48 hours before the attack was detected. These examples illustrate a clear trend: attackers are exploiting both technical vulnerabilities and the human factor, and financial and reputational risks have reached an all-time high.

Why does the iGaming industry remain a target? According to expert in digital products of iGaming and ex beneficiary of Cosmobet, the reason is that the industry offers two resources that attackers value above all: money and data.

What to do about it

The main question for iGaming industry stakeholders today is: how to turn regulatory pressure and cyber threats into a market advantage? Mykhailo Zborovskyi offers a specific algorithm of actions for operators seeking sustainable development in 2026:

Technological integration;

● Implement interfaces where the player can independently see the logic of bonus accrual, set limits with one click and easily pass verification;

● Use ML models for early detection of signs of gaming addiction or fraud;

● Implement a culture of cyber hygiene at all levels of the company.

Given this, security becomes the foundation of the white market. It is already a much more powerful marketing and trust tool. Therefore, the future of iGaming belongs to operators who will make player protection their main value, turning the digital fortress into a transparent and reliable service for each user.

Opinions of Mykhailo Zborovskyi Cosmobet (ex beneficiary)

How exactly are mobile technologies and transparent regulation changing the rules of the game in Ukraine? The answer to this question lies in the plane of transition from quantitative growth to qualitative transformation. We are witnessing the formation of an ecosystem where technological excellence becomes inseparable from legal purity.

Mobile technologies have ceased to be just a means of accessing the game. Thanks to biometrics, built-in payment gateways and personalized interfaces, the smartphone has become a tool for control and security. This allows Ukrainian operators to build deeper and more honest relationships with the user, where every step of the player is protected at the level of the device architecture.

Ukraine, thanks to its powerful IT sector, has every chance of becoming a global platform for the implementation of AI protection and automated compliance, notes Mykhailo Zborovskyi Cosmobet (ex beneficiary).