The first year of PlayCity's operations marked an important milestone for Ukraine’s gambling and lottery market. In a country that continues to operate under wartime conditions, the government has prioritized transparency, digitalization, and stronger oversight in sectors that had long been characterized by regulatory gray areas. During this period, PlayCity not only managed to establish an effective licensing framework but also laid the foundation for a more predictable and

Tax and licensing revenues generated by the gambling industry undoubtedly cannot compete with the taxes and other payments contributed by more powerful sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, the sector generates billions in state budget revenues that can be used to finance various public needs, including defense expenditures. Recently, the government adopted a relevant decision and allocated UAH 10.8 billion generated by the gambling sector to military needs. The government's

Combating the illegal gambling sector has become one of the key priorities for all developed countries where gambling is legal. Regulatory measures typically focus on technical solutions such as blocking illegal websites and platforms, prohibiting unlawful advertising and strengthening player protection requirements. However, despite these efforts, illegal operators continue to function and thrive. As a result, regulatory initiatives are increasingly shifting toward monitorin

Recently, Gaming Compliance International published its report, GCI Online Gaming 2025: Global, on the global unregulated gambling market. According to the company’s estimates, the scale of the market is truly staggering, even by global economic standards, reaching an annual betting turnover of USD 5.9 trillion. This figure exceeds the combined budgets of many European countries and is surpassed only by the economies of the United States and China. Importantly, this includes

In professional discussions around gambling, artificial intelligence (AI) is often reduced to the role of a supporting tool, from customer support chatbots to marketing content generation and basic game recommendation systems. While important, this is merely an entry-level application that does little to fundamentally alter either a company’s cost structure or its resilience to growing regulatory and tax pressure. For markets such as Ukraine, where oversight is intensifying a

PlayCity continues to test innovative approaches aimed at addressing pressing issues in the gambling sector. This time, the regulator has introduced an interesting new approach to combating illegal gambling advertising. To support this effort, an online tool for submitting complaints has been created. Thanks to this tool, every concerned citizen can now join the fight against intrusive gambling advertisements. The introduction of an accessible and user-friendly complaint subm

The transfer of gambling market regulation under the authority of the Ministry of Digital Transformation has driven a number of trends in the industry. One of the most significant is the digitalization of interaction processes between the regulator, gambling operators, and players. In addition, such innovations also help more effectively monitor gambling behavior and prevent the spread of gambling addiction, writes Anton Kuchukhidze, Chairman of the Ukrainian Gambling Council

The transfer of gambling market regulation under the authority of the Ministry of Digital Transformation has sparked a number of trends in the industry. One of the most significant is the digitalization of interaction processes between the regulator, gambling operators, and players. In addition, such innovations also help more effectively monitor gambling behavior and prevent the spread of gambling addiction. Read more

Anton Kuchukhidze is a Ukrainian gambling industry expert and the Chairman of the Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC). He is actively involved in discussions surrounding gambling regulation, market transparency, responsible gaming, and the digital transformation of the sector in Ukraine. Kuchukhidze regularly contributes expert commentary on legislative reforms, taxation, anti-shadow market measures, and the development of a modern regulatory framework aligned with European stan

The transfer of gambling market regulation to the Ministry of Digital Transformation has driven a number of trends in the industry. One of the most significant is the digitalization of interaction processes between the regulator, gambling operators, and players. In addition, such innovations help more effectively track player behavior and prevent the spread of gambling addiction. The Committee on Digital Transformation has finally presented a working version of the first phas

The Ministry of Digital Transformation and PlayCity have launched digital licensing for the gambling business through the “Diia” portal. Applications for land-based and online casinos,slot machine halls, poker, and B2B services can be submitted online using a qualified electronic signature (QES). The system automatically retrieves data on companies and beneficial owners from registries, the application status can be tracked in a personal account, and decisions are delivered w

The Ministry of Digital Transformation and PlayCity have launched digital licensing for the gambling business through the Diia portal. Applications for land-based and online casinos, bookmaking activities, slot machine halls, poker, and B2B services can now be submitted online using a qualified electronic signature (QES). The system automatically retrieves data about companies and beneficiaries from state registries, application status can be tracked in a personal account, an

The state agency PlayCity has launched a pilot mode of SOMS—an instrument set to fundamentally change the approach to gambling market oversight. Instead of delayed reporting, the state can now monitor every transaction in real time. The first two operators are already connected, and in the near future the system is expected to cover the entire licensed segment, writes Ukrainian Gambling Council Deputy Chairman Viktoriya Zakrevska in her column. Read more

The state agency PlayCity has launched a pilot mode of SOMS, a tool designed to fundamentally change the approach to regulating the gambling market. Instead of delayed reports, the government can now see every transaction in real time. The first two operators are already connected, and the system will soon cover the entire licensed segment. SOMS functions like a digital blockchain for transactions: every bet, payout, or refund is recorded separately with a unique identifier.

Following the emergence of the new gambling market regulator PlayCity, a number of steps were taken toward legalizing lottery operations, improving the system for issuing and revoking licenses, and combating illegal operators. Certain measures were also implemented regarding the introduction of the State Online Monitoring System, which is intended to become the foundation for transparency and accountability in transactions with players. The government is now ready to move fur

The register of individuals who have voluntarily restricted their access to gambling already contains 15,000 entries. This statistic sends an important signal: the self-exclusion tool is beginning to function not as a formal option, but as a real mechanism for player protection and a way to prevent risky behavior in a timely manner, analyzes Viktoriya Zakrevska, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Gambling Council, in her column. Read more

The register of individuals who have voluntarily restricted their access to gambling has already reached 15,000 entries. This statistic sends an important signal: the self-exclusion tool is beginning to function not as a formal option, but as a real mechanism for player protection and a way to prevent risky behavior in a timely manner. This is precisely where the strength of prevention lies. Gambling addiction is far easier to prevent than to deal with its consequences later.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has reported to the European Commission the critical scale of the problem: in 2025, the illegal segment accounted for 27%, or €18 billion in GGR, of the European online gambling market. Fake websites cloning legitimate brands, illegal apps without verification, and phishing schemes on social media steal players’ data, encourage addiction, and leave users without any protection, writes Viktoriya Zakrevska, Deputy Chairman of t

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has informed the European Commission about the critical scale of the problem: in 2025, the illegal segment captured 27%, or €18 billion in GGR, from the European online gambling market. Fake clone websites of legal brands, unverified illegal apps, and phishing schemes on social media steal players’ data, fuel addiction, and leave users without any protection. Fraudsters copy the domains of well-known operators, offer “bonuses

The new licensing rules introduced by the national regulator PlayCity are already demonstrating their effectiveness. In particular, there has been enhanced scrutiny of applications submitted by operators seeking licenses. Cooperation with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and other law enforcement agencies in this area has already produced initial results. Recently, the license of one lottery operator was revoked due to the ultimate beneficial owner’s failure to meet l

The Ukrainian lottery market operated in a legal “gray zone” for 12 years, without effective oversight or license payments. The PlayCity competition radically changed the situation by selecting three operators — “M.S.L.”, “UNL.”, and “Patriot” — which have already transferred the first UAH 72 million to the state budget (on March 26, the company “Patriot” had its license revoked due to the ultimate beneficial owner not meeting legal requirements). International companies did

The European gambling market is turning into an arena of conflict due to fundamental inequality in regulation. Governments protect state lotteries and horse race betting as “national cultural heritage,” granting them preferential tax regimes and exemptions from restrictions. Private businesses, by contrast, face high taxes, strict regulation, and discriminatory rules. In Sweden and the United Kingdom, racetrack associations are demanding even greater tax pressure on online ca

What lies ahead for the legal gambling industry in the near future, and how the relevant ministry envisions the sector’s prospects, is discussed in his column by Anton Kuchukhidze, Chairman of the Ukrainian Gambling Council. Read more

Recently, the Ministry of Digital Transformation presented its plan for further reform of the gambling sector. It represents a comprehensive set of measures aimed at addressing key issues related to taxation, as well as the introduction of a Unified Register, which will serve as the foundation for the State Online Monitoring System (SOMS). All these changes are intended to simplify interaction between players, gambling operators, and the regulator PlayCity, and finally resolv