PlayCity engages citizens in the fight against toxic gambling advertising

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 submission tool for illegal gambling advertising is a highly interesting and potentially very effective solution. On the one hand, the state is effectively turning all active citizens who care about the unchecked activities of illegal operators — particularly in the advertising space — into its “agents.” Instead of relying solely on dozens of regulatory employees monitoring content, thousands of social media and website users can now act as watchdogs.

On the other hand, this approach gives users a real mechanism to influence the situation. Previously, people could express dissatisfaction with gambling ads only through angry comments under posts or private messages to bloggers promoting such content. In most cases, this had no practical effect. Now, with the help of this tool, users can submit links to suspicious or inappropriate content, and if violations are identified, restrictive measures will be taken against it.

So, how will this complaint system work? Users need to visit the PlayCity website, go to the “For Citizens” section, and select the “Advertising Complaint” tab. After that, they choose the type of platform where the illegal content was размещено and add a link. Users can also attach a video (for example, a screen recording) or a screenshot. There is also an option to provide an email address for feedback and to track the processing status of the complaint.

Special attention within this system is given to short-lived content formats with limited-time access — such as stories. Once the system receives a link to a story, it automatically downloads and stores the content, thereby preserving evidence for future use.

Each submitted complaint is then reviewed by PlayCity employees. If the advertisement is indeed found to violate the law, the regulator submits a request to the relevant platforms to remove the content. Pages distributing such advertisements may be blocked, and the advertiser may face fines.

This approach is a logical continuation of the regulator’s cooperation with platforms such as YouTube, Meta, and others: PlayCity gains the “eyes” of users in areas where its own resources may be insufficient, while every complaint immediately becomes data for systematic action against illegal advertising and bloggers involved in questionable schemes. This model effectively makes advertising a weak point for the black market — the easier it is to file a complaint, the faster illegal content disappears. As a result, the resources spent on creating such advertisements turn into losses. In turn, this undermines the very purpose of illegal advertising and encourages gambling operators to comply with regulatory requirements, making legal operations more attractive.

The digitalization of regulatory processes undoubtedly offers many advantages for gambling oversight, especially in the online segment. Initiatives like this help optimize information processing and scale the monitoring of the information space by involving citizens in identifying illegal advertising. Alongside fundamental reforms such as the introduction of SOMS and the unification of tax legislation, such initiatives are indeed capable of significantly improving the overall condition and attractiveness of the Ukrainian gambling market.