New online advertising rules give domestic gambling a boost

On 14 July 2025, the Ukrainian gambling market received a new boost for development: Alphabet Inc., the owner of the Google brand, officially approved the placement of ads from licensed Ukrainian gambling operators across its platforms — including the search engine, YouTube, Google Play, and the Discover feed.

Ukraine joined the list of countries that allow gambling advertising in all key Google products, including

• Google search engine (online casino, betting, slot machine, and poker ads will appear in search results)

• YouTube (video content from licensed organisers will be available for advertising promotion);

• Google Play (gambling apps will be able to advertise in the Google store);

• Discover feed (personalised recommendations for customers will include offers from legal organisers).

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This decision not only increases the visibility of legal gambling companies, but also creates new opportunities to attract customers, build their trust and develop the market.

The advertising permit was the result of many years of work by the Ukrainian national regulator and associations, including ours - the Ukrainian Gambling Council. Back in 2021, we at UGC started a dialogue with Google by sending the first request for recognition of the legal gambling market in Ukraine. The request contained a proposal to expand the list of permitted types of gambling (online and offline casinos, betting, slot machines, poker) and provide Ukrainian users with access to digital gambling technologies.

Last year, the first cooperation agreements were signed with Apple Inc., Meta Inc. and Alphabet Inc. to block illegal gambling advertising in search engines, social networks and mobile applications. These agreements became the basis for the fight against illegal gambling, but it took time to coordinate licensing procedures for legal advertising.

Google’s decision on 14 July 2025 marked the culmination of this process. The first certification of a licence by Google has already taken place, signaling the rapid implementation of the new rules.

Advertising legal gambling on Google services is proving to be an effective tool in combating illegal operators. The new national regulator, PlayCity, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, can now quickly identify legal content thanks to clear certification standards. This enables the blocking of illegal advertising, which often uses aggressive marketing tactics and misleads users.

Legal advertising, in turn, will increase the visibility of licensed operators to potential consumers, potentially boosting market revenues by 15–20% in 2025–2026. Furthermore, access to global advertising platforms makes Ukraine more attractive to international companies and can help draw additional investment. The growth of the advertising sector — and of legal gambling more broadly — is also expected to create new jobs in marketing, IT, and customer support.

Alphabet Inc.’s decision to allow legal gambling advertising from Ukraine is, therefore, a significant milestone in the development of the national gambling market. It reflects the growing importance of the Ukrainian market, strengthens cooperation with global tech companies, and provides an effective mechanism for tackling illegal content. The economic benefits — including revenue growth, increased investment, and job creation — underscore Ukraine’s integration into the global economy and its efforts to curb illegal markets.