Ukraine continues to tighten control over its digital gambling sector as authorities step up efforts to remove illegal operators and support licensed companies.
The country’s regulator PlayCity recently launched a large-scale enforcement initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, targeting unlicensed offshore gambling platforms operating in the country.
In February, regulators ordered internet service providers to block 226 illegal gambling websites, part of an ongoing effort to eliminate unauthorized operators from the market. Since the enforcement mechanism was introduced, authorities report that around 3,000 illegal sites have been removed, helping protect licensed companies from unfair competition and improving player safety.
PlayCity has also intensified monitoring of gambling promotions on social media platforms. The regulator identified 87 suspicious promotional accounts on TikTok and 27 advertising pages on Meta platforms that were promoting unlicensed gambling services. All identified accounts were submitted for blocking, as part of a broader collaboration between Ukrainian regulators and global technology companies.
PlayCity recently conducted technical inspections of two authorized operators and imposed fines totaling more than €93,000 after identifying several regulatory violations.
The regulator is also introducing new technology aimed at improving oversight of the industry. PlayCity recently began testing the State Online Monitoring System (DSOM), a platform designed to track gambling activity and financial transactions across licensed operators.
Despite tighter regulation, Ukraine’s licensed gambling market continues to expand. In February, PlayCity issued six new operating licenses, including one for online gambling operations, two B2B licenses for software development, and three licenses for lottery operators.
The new approvals generated more than €2.1 million in licensing fees for the state budget. Regulators say they plan to continue strengthening oversight throughout the year while supporting the growth of a transparent and competitive legal gambling market.
