Rules for Unlicensed Lotteries and Gambling in Ukraine: A New Landscape
Current Laws
- Ukraine has taken steps to ban unlawful gambling activities. The law strictly limits gambling to licensed locations, such as casinos within three-star hotels, with participants required to be 21 or older[1].
- Regulatory Authority: PlayCity, a new state-run supervisory body, has been set up to control and oversee the gambling sector, aiming to tackle illicit activities and improve transparency[2][3].
- Online Crackdown: A significant number of unauthorized online gambling platforms have been blocked, amounting to over 32,000 sites by March 2025[2].
The Shift Toward Controlled Gambling
- Licensed Expansion: The implementation of PlayCity is intended to establish a regulated gambling environment that promises benefits for both consumers and the state budget through increased tax income[3].
- Booming Legal Players: Legal operators have experienced impressive growth in this sector, contributing substantially to tax payments in recent times[3].
- Gambling Awareness: There's been a surge in individuals registering as problematic gamblers, self-limiting their gambling access, signifying increased awareness and self-regulation with regards to gambling issues[1].
- Tax Income Projections: The Ministry of Finance believes a well-regulated gambling market could potentially yield up to €220 million annually in tax revenues[3].
Judge mandates illicit operator to shell out 104 million dollars in penalty
In summary, Ukraine is moving towards a more updated and controlled gambling environment, focusing on eliminating illegitimate activities, boosting tax earnings, and addressing societal concerns on gambling.
- The new state-run regulatory body, PlayCity, in Ukraine aims to oversee and control the gambling sector, focusing on legalizing and expand licensing to establish a regulated gambling environment.
- Despite the crackdown on unauthorized online gambling platforms, legal operators in the country have experienced impressive growth and contribute substantially to tax payments.
- The Ministry of Finance in Ukraine believes a well-regulated gambling market, such as legal casinos and online gambling, could potentially yield up to €220 million annually in tax revenues.
- The implementation of the regulatory authority, PlayCity, is intended to improve transparency in the gambling sector, tackle illicit activities, and address societal concerns on gambling-related problems.
