JoyFactory is an independent review project covering online casinos and bookmakers that operate on the Ukrainian market. We test operators ourselves and publish rankings built on facts rather than promotional materials.
The project launched in 2026. The domain was registered specifically for this purpose; no other website had ever been hosted on it before.
Why we do this
Most casino reviews in the Ukrainian segment are written second-hand. The author takes the description from the operator’s home page, retells it in their own words, gives it a “9 out of 10” score, and that is the end of the job. Nobody signs up, deposits money or checks what happens at withdrawal.
As a result, readers get texts that look like reviews but do not answer the key questions: how long a payout really takes, what is hidden in the bonus terms, and whether the license is valid today.
We build the project the other way round. Testing first, writing second. Every point in our rankings has to rest on something verifiable: an extract from the PlayCity register, a timestamped transaction screenshot, a specific clause in the operator’s rules.
What we check
Only operators holding a valid permit from the state agency PlayCity make it into our rankings of licensed operators. This is an entry requirement, not a scoring criterion: without a license your winnings have no legal protection, and every other feature of the platform becomes meaningless.
Next, the operator goes through the full cycle: registration, a deposit of our own money, verification, a withdrawal request and a support inquiry. We record the actual times and terms, not the advertised ones.
The final score is made up of six criteria with different weights. The procedure is fully described in our methodology, and it is the same for every operator.
Who works on it
The project is run by a small team: authors who test operators in their own verticals, an editor-in-chief who keeps a single scoring standard, and a lawyer who checks everything related to legal status.
We do not publish content under anonymous pen names. Every review has a specific person behind it who went through the procedure and is responsible for what is written. Profiles are on the editorial team page.
How we make money
The project’s income comes from affiliate commissions: some links on the site are affiliate links, and we may receive a fee when you follow them.
This model does not affect scores. Criteria weights are set in advance and are the same for everyone, positions in the rankings are not for sale, and an operator without a valid license does not enter the main ranking under any commercial terms. Details are in our affiliate disclosure.
We hold no stakes in operators, receive no funding from them and do not work for any of the companies we review.
Our principles
A score must be justified. If we give a score, we must be able to show what it is based on. That is why every piece includes the date of the check, and significant changes are recorded in the changelog.
A review should show the limitations, not just the advantages. A review in which everything is great is useless to the reader.
Mistakes get corrected, not hushed up. If you believe a score is wrong, write to us with evidence, and we will either correct the score or show you the data it is based on.
We do not present gambling as a way to make money. It is an expense, and the responsible gambling page collects self-limitation tools for those who need them.
Contact
Send questions, suggestions, error reports and partnership requests to [email protected] or via the contacts page.