25
Each one checked under the Mystery Shopping protocol.
About Don8Play
An international editorial team: independent ratings, in-depth tests and honest analysis of gambling brands for a Russian-speaking audience. 18+.
Our story
Don8Play launched in October 2025 as an independent editorial project of Don8Play Media Group, written for a Russian-speaking audience. The editors are based in Cyprus, a neutral EU jurisdiction typical of international iGaming media. Legal entity: Don8Play Media Ltd., 12 Themistokli Dervi, Office 305, 1066 Nicosia, Cyprus, reg. number HE 437821.
In its first months the team built its own assessment methodology with numerical weights, started a “mystery shopper” protocol and set clear rules that separate editorial content from affiliate content.
The editors in numbers
28
On withdrawals, bonuses, verification and strategy.
14
From payout speed to the quality of support.
19 May 2026
The data is current as of the date of the check.
Legal status
Don8Play Media Ltd.
12 Themistokli Dervi, Office 305, 1066 Nicosia, Cyprus
Registration number: HE 437821
Jurisdiction: Republic of Cyprus (EU)
Don8Play is purely an information resource. The editors are not a gambling operator, do not accept bets and do not run games for money. Our income comes from affiliate commissions paid by brands, and this is disclosed openly on every page. For users in Russia, Russian law applies as regards the protection of the rights of consumers of information; personal data is processed in accordance with Russia’s Federal Law No. 152-FZ on personal data. Details are in our Privacy policy.
The editorial team
Five permanent editors are responsible for what we publish. Their full profiles, with areas of expertise and the materials they sign, are on the Team page.
Alexander Volkov
Editor-in-chief. 8+ years in iGaming. Oversees the methodology and the final scores of brands.
Elena Sokolova
Editor, Finance and Payments. A finance graduate (MGIMO University) who has tested payment gateways and KYC processes for 6 years.
Dmitry Reznov
Technical editor. A former back-end developer who load-tests apps.
Maria Lazareva
Editor, Bonuses and Product. A mathematician (Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow State University) who specialises in wagering requirements and RTP.
Igor Belsky
Legal adviser. Practises under Russia’s Federal Laws No. 152-FZ (personal data) and No. 244-FZ (gambling); advises on disputes and regulation.
What makes Don8Play different
- A methodology with numerical weights. Every criterion has a fixed weight: licence 30%, payments 25%, game range 15%, bonuses 15%, support and UX 15%. The details and the scoring formulas are in our Methodology.
- The “mystery shopper” test. Registration, deposit, withdrawal and a support request are all checked on a real account, not taken from the brand’s own rules.
- A corrections policy with fixed deadlines. A factual error is corrected within 24 hours. A brand’s appeal is considered within 14 days, and its position is published as a separate block in the brand profile.
- Affiliate links are clearly marked. Every one goes through /go/{slug}/ with the attribute
rel="sponsored noopener"and a text label “partner” next to the button.
Our affiliate model — disclosure
The editors receive an affiliate fee from brands when a user registers through an affiliate link. The size of the commission does not affect a brand’s position in our ratings; this is stated explicitly in the Editorial policy and the Methodology. Only brands with a valid licence that have passed the Mystery Shopping check are admitted to the affiliate programme.