Ethical Framework
Building a prediction platform that prioritizes user well-being over profits
Core Philosophy: Honest House Edge, Maximum Transparency
The traditional gambling model: Hide the house edge, maximize extraction, trick users
The TheSixNines model: Transparent house edge, fair odds, full disclosure, responsible gaming
Reality: We're a betting platform. The house has an edge. But we're honest about it.
What Does "Transparent House Edge" Mean?
Industry-Low Edge
2.19:1 payout on 50/50 predictions = 3-5% house edge
Industry average: 10-20% house edge
Our edge is smaller than competitors, but we still have an edge.
Transparent Mathematics
Every prediction shows expected value
No hidden fees or confusing odds
You know exactly what you're getting
No Dark Patterns
No misleading UI to trick you into bigger predictions
No "almost won" false near-misses
No hiding withdrawal buttons
Educational Content
Teach users about markets, volatility, risk
Free courses on technical analysis
Help them become better traders
Why This Matters
Traditional casinos optimize for time on device (more play = more losses).
We optimize for informed users who understand the math (trust = retention).
Counterintuitive but true: Transparency creates longer customer lifetime.
A user who knows the house edge (3-5%) and accepts it as entertainment cost stays for years.
A user who feels deceived quits immediately and tells everyone.
Honesty beats deception for long-term revenue.
Educational Mission: Market Literacy Platform
We're Not Just a Prediction App
TheSixNines is a market education platform that uses short-term predictions as the engagement mechanism.
Free Educational Content
📚 TheSixNines Academy
- Technical analysis basics
- Reading candlestick charts
- Understanding volatility
- Risk management principles
- Psychology of trading
All free, no paywall
📊 Market Insights
- Daily market recaps
- Asset-specific analysis
- News impact explanations
- Volatility predictions
- Historical settlement data
Accessible to everyone
🎓 Live Webinars
- Weekly market analysis sessions
- Q&A with professional traders
- Strategy deep-dives
- Responsible gaming workshops
- Community learning events
Interactive and community-driven
📈 Personal Analytics
- "You're 67% accurate on TSLA 2-3 PM"
- "You lose money on Friday afternoons"
- "Your best asset: SPY (58% win rate)"
- Behavioral pattern insights
- Improvement suggestions
Data-driven self-improvement
Long-Term Vision
In 5 years, we want users to say:
"I started using TheSixNines for fun predictions, but I learned so much about markets that I now manage my own investment portfolio. Best education I ever got."
Success metric: % of users who transition from predictions to long-term investing
Industry-First Innovations
1. Win Limits (Revolutionary)
No major gambling platform has ever implemented win limits.
Why? Because they reduce profits.
We're doing it anyway.
The Research
- Study finding: Win limits increase win rate from 23.7% to 30.6% (29% improvement)
- User behavior: Forces users to lock in profits, prevents "giving it all back"
- Long-term retention: Users who hit win limits return more frequently
- Why casinos don't use them: Reduces short-term revenue by ~15%
How TheSixNines Win Limits Work
| User Tier | Daily Win Limit | Action When Hit |
|---|---|---|
| New Users (<30 days) | $500 | Mandatory 24-hour cool-down |
| Regular Users (30-90 days) | $1,000 | Prompted to withdraw or 12-hour break |
| Experienced Users (90+ days) | $2,500 | Suggested withdrawal, optional break |
| VIP Users | $5,000 | Notification + withdrawal prompt |
User Experience
🎉 Congratulations! You've won $500 today!
You've hit your daily win limit (New User: $500).
Options:
1. Withdraw your winnings now (free scheduled withdrawal)
2. Take a 24-hour break and come back tomorrow
Why we do this:
Research shows users who lock in wins are 3x more likely
to stay profitable long-term. We're on your side.
[Withdraw $500] [Take Break]The Trade-Off
Cost to us: ~$50M/year in reduced revenue (Year 3)
Benefit to users: 29% higher win rate, better long-term outcomes
Our position: Worth it. This is who we are.
Slot Tier Alignment with Win Limits
Our slot tier structure is designed to prevent problem gambling by naturally capping wager sizes relative to daily win limits. No user can risk more than they should win in a day.
| Slot Tier | Max Single Wager | Recommended User Level | Daily Win Limit | Max Risk Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $50 | New Users (<30 days) | $500 | 10% per bet |
| Standard | $100 | Regular (30-90 days) | $1,000 | 10% per bet |
| Premium | $250 | Experienced (90+ days) | $2,500 | 10% per bet |
| Elite | $500 | VIP Users | $5,000 | 10% per bet |
Why This Matters: The 10% Rule
Every slot tier caps single wagers at exactly 10% of the corresponding daily win limit. This prevents users from:
- Over-risking: Can't bet their entire daily target on one prediction
- Catastrophic losses: Even 10 consecutive losses = still within reasonable bounds
- Emotional chasing: Forced to spread risk across multiple predictions
Example: A New User on a Starter slot ($50 max) would need to make 10 consecutive winning predictions to hit their $500 daily win limit. This creates natural pacing and reduces impulsive behavior.
2. AI-Powered Risk Detection + Human Counselors
How It Works
- AI Monitoring (Gamalyze/GameScanner integration):
- Tracks 120+ behavioral signals
- Detects patterns like chasing losses, escalating predictions, late-night binges
- Real-time risk scoring (0-100)
- Automatic Interventions:
- Risk score 30-50: Gentle nudges ("You've predicted $X today, 2x your average")
- Risk score 50-70: Stronger warnings ("5 losses in a row, take a break?")
- Risk score 70+: Mandatory cool-down + human counselor contact
- Human Counselor Follow-Up:
- Certified gaming counselors on staff (not customer support)
- Private, confidential 1-on-1 check-ins
- Resources, support, referrals to addiction specialists
- No judgment, just help
Success Metrics
- DraftKings benchmark: 20M "responsible gambling tool" uses/year
- Gamalyze detection: 7.7M players/month monitored, 89% accuracy
- Our goal: Contact 100% of high-risk users within 24 hours
3. Transparency Dashboard (Public Win Rates)
We publish real user win rates publicly.
No other gambling platform does this. Why? Because the numbers look bad for users.
We're confident enough in our model to show the truth.
What We Publish
- Prediction win rate: "47% of all predictions won this month" (users need 54%+ to profit with our odds)
- Asset-specific win rates: "SPY: 48.2%, BTC: 46.8%, TSLA: 47.1%"
- House edge reality: "Average user loses $47/month (3-5% edge)"
- Payout transparency: "2.19:1 odds = need 54% win rate to break even"
- Comparison to industry: "Our edge: 3-5%. Traditional sportsbooks: 10-20%"
Live Transparency Dashboard
Accessible at thesixnines.com/transparency (updated daily):
- Total predictions made
- Total winnings paid out
- Average entry size
- Win rate by asset
- Withdrawal success rate (same-day vs scheduled)
- Problem gaming intervention stats
Why this matters: Transparency builds trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds value.
Responsible Gaming Tools (Day 1)
Self-Exclusion
One-Click Access
Prominent button on every page
No hidden menus, no "are you sure?" dark patterns
Immediate account freeze
Duration Options
- 24 hours
- 7 days
- 30 days
- 6 months
- 1 year
- Permanent
Cannot Be Reversed
Once locked, stays locked
No customer support override
Cooling period enforced
GamStop Integration (UK)
Linked to UK national self-exclusion database
Cross-platform protection
Industry best practice
Deposit & Position Limits
| Limit Type | User Control | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Deposit Limit | User sets own cap | Hard stop, no override |
| Weekly Deposit Limit | User sets own cap | Rolling 7-day window |
| Monthly Deposit Limit | User sets own cap | Calendar month reset |
| Single Prediction Limit | User sets max entry size | Cannot place larger prediction |
| Daily Loss Limit | User sets max loss/day | Auto-lockout when hit |
Limit Change Policy
- Reductions: Instant, take effect immediately
- Increases: 24-hour delay (prevents chasing losses)
- Removal: 7-day delay + email confirmation
Session Time Limits
- Automatic warnings: Every 60 minutes of continuous play
- User-set limits: "Log me out after 2 hours"
- Default maximum: 4-hour sessions (then forced 30-min break)
- Daily reports: "You spent 3.5 hours on TheSixNines today"
Mandatory Cool-Downs
| Trigger | Cool-Down Duration | Override? |
|---|---|---|
| 5 consecutive losses | 15 minutes | No |
| 10 consecutive losses | 60 minutes | No |
| $500 loss in 1 hour | 30 minutes | No |
| $2,000 loss in 1 day | 24 hours | No |
| AI risk score 70+ | 48 hours + counselor contact | No |
Experience-Based Prediction Limits
Protect novices from catastrophic losses:
| User Experience | Max Entry Size | Max Daily Predictions |
|---|---|---|
| New (<10 bets) | $100 | 10 |
| Beginner (10-100 predictions) | $250 | 20 |
| Intermediate (100-1,000 predictions) | $500 | 50 |
| Experienced (1,000+ predictions) | $2,000 | Unlimited |
Partnerships & Advocacy
Problem Gambling Organizations
National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)
Partner organization
Resources linked in-app
24/7 hotline: 1-800-522-4700
Gamblers Anonymous
Meeting finder integration
Easy referral process
Support group resources
BeGambleAware (UK)
UK-specific resources
Regulatory compliance
Education materials
Responsible Gambling Council (Canada)
Canadian market compliance
Best practice implementation
Certification programs
Financial Commitment
5% of annual profits donated to problem gaming prevention
Year 3 projection: $960M profit → $48M donated
Largest corporate donor to gaming addiction research and treatment
Where the Money Goes
- 40% Research: Fund studies on gaming addiction, prevention methods
- 30% Treatment: Free counseling programs, rehab facility partnerships
- 20% Education: School programs, public awareness campaigns
- 10% Technology: Better AI detection, open-source tools for industry
Industry Advocacy
We will actively lobby for:
- Mandatory win limits: Industry-wide adoption
- AI detection standards: Require all operators to use monitoring
- Transparency requirements: Force competitors to publish win rates
- Advertising restrictions: No targeting vulnerable populations
- Taxation for treatment: Gambling tax revenue → addiction programs
Conflict of Interest: Zero Tolerance Policy
🚫 ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION
Employees, contractors, advisors, board members, and their immediate family members are PERMANENTLY BANNED from using TheSixNines platform.
No exceptions. No special accounts. No testing with real money. Period.
Why This Matters
TheSixNines employees have access to information that could create unfair advantages:
- Settlement data: See price feeds milliseconds before public users
- System architecture: Understand timing, rounding, edge cases
- User behavior analytics: Know crowd sentiment on specific assets
- Operational metrics: See which assets have higher/lower house edge
- Algorithm details: Understand payout calculations, odds adjustments
Even unintentional use of this knowledge is unethical.
Enforcement Policy
| Who Is Banned | Scope | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| All employees (full-time, part-time, contractors) | Cannot create accounts, make predictions, or use platform | Entire employment + 1 year after |
| Board members & advisors | Cannot create accounts, make predictions, or use platform | Entire term + 1 year after |
| Immediate family (spouse, children, parents, siblings) | Cannot create accounts, make predictions, or use platform | Entire employment/term + 1 year after |
| Investors with >5% stake | Cannot create accounts or make predictions | While holding stake + 6 months after |
Detection & Monitoring
- Employee registry: Maintain database of all employees + family members
- KYC cross-checking: Every new user checked against employee database
- Address/device fingerprinting: Flag accounts from employee home IPs or devices
- Quarterly audits: External firm reviews all accounts for conflicts
- Whistleblower protection: Anonymous reporting with rewards for exposing violations
Consequences for Violations
Employee violation:
- Immediate termination (no severance)
- Forfeiture of all unvested equity
- Legal action to recover winnings + penalties
- Report to gambling regulatory authorities
Family member violation (if employee aware):
- Same consequences as direct employee violation
- Employee deemed complicit unless proven otherwise
Testing & Development Accounts
Engineers need to test. How do we handle this?
Testnet Only
Separate testing environment
Fake money, simulated prices
Cannot cash out
Audit Logging
All test account activity logged
Reviewed by compliance team
No real money ever touches test accounts
No Production Access
Employees cannot access production prediction system
Read-only analytics access (aggregated only)
Zero visibility into individual user predictions
External QA Testing
Hire third-party testers for production validation
Independent contractors with no insider knowledge
Winnings/losses reviewed by auditors
Comparison to Industry Standards
| Company | Employee Prediction Policy |
|---|---|
| Traditional Casinos (Las Vegas) | Cannot gamble at own casino, but can visit competitors |
| DraftKings | Employees banned + immediate family banned |
| Stock Exchanges (NYSE, NASDAQ) | Strict insider trading rules, compliance officers |
| TheSixNines | Most restrictive: All employees + family + 1 year cooling period |
Why We Go Further
We could allow employees to predict on competitor platforms (like casino workers do). We don't.
Reason: An employee who predicts on any asset prediction platform creates conflicts of interest.
- Might steal trade secrets to use elsewhere
- Might sabotage TheSixNines to help competitor
- Might be tempted to share insider knowledge for profit
Our rule: Work for TheSixNines = you don't predict on assets, anywhere, period.
Don't like it? Work somewhere else. We're serious about ethics.
Public Commitment
This policy is published in:
- Employment contracts (violation = termination for cause)
- Ethics charter (board-approved, publicly available)
- Terms of Service (users can verify we enforce this)
- Annual reports (report violations + enforcement actions)
Transparency: We will publicly disclose any violations and actions taken.
What We Will Never Do
Hard Red Lines
- Never allow employees/family to predict: Zero tolerance conflict of interest policy
- Never target vulnerable users: No AI-driven predatory marketing
- Never make withdrawal difficult: Same-day crypto withdrawals, no hoops
- Never use dark patterns: No hiding limits, no confusing UI
- Never promote during losing streaks: No "deposit bonus" after big loss
- Never obfuscate odds: Clear, transparent mathematics always
- Never target minors: Strict age verification, no appeals to youth
- Never sell user data: Your prediction history stays private
- Never ignore red flags: 100% follow-up on high-risk users
Accountability
These commitments are in our charter.
Board-level oversight. Annual ethics audits. Public reporting.
If we violate these principles, we lose the right to operate.
Why Ethics = Competitive Advantage
Regulatory Goodwill
Best-in-class compliance = easier licensing
Regulators trust us
Faster market entry
User Trust
Transparent = trustworthy
Trust = long-term retention
Retention = higher LTV
Brand Differentiation
"The ethical prediction platform"
Premium positioning
Attracts quality users
Talent Magnet
Engineers want to work on ethical products
Pride in what we build
Lower turnover
Future-Proof
Regulations tightening globally
We're already ahead of requirements
Competitors will struggle to adapt
Sustainable Growth
Extract-maximum models burn out
Win-first models compound
10-year business, not 2-year cash grab
Measuring Success
Ethics KPIs (Publicly Reported Quarterly)
| Metric | Target | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
| User win rate (% of predictions won) | 51-53% | 45-48% |
| Profitable users (% net positive/month) | 30-35% | 10-15% |
| Problem gaming flags (% of users) | <0.5% | 2-3% |
| Self-exclusion rate (% of users/year) | 1-2% | 0.5-1% |
| High-risk user contact rate | 100% | ~20% |
| Average session time (minutes/day) | <45 | 90-120 |
| Win limit trigger rate (% users/day) | 5-8% | N/A (we're first) |
| Withdrawal success rate (same-day) | >95% | 60-70% |
Long-Term Success Indicator
Ultimate goal: % of users who say "TheSixNines helped me understand markets"
Target: 60% by Year 3
Measured via quarterly user surveys
The Long View
Building for Decades, Not Quarters
We could extract more revenue by removing win limits, hiding odds, targeting vulnerable users.
We'd make an extra $100M-$200M/year.
We're not doing that.
Because in 10 years, we want to be the most trusted name in market predictions.
The platform that regulators point to as best practice.
The company that users recommend to friends without hesitation.
The brand that changed the gambling industry for the better.
That's worth more than short-term profits.