In Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation is leading the development of a state monitoring system for the gambling industry.
The initiative is aimed at enhancing transparency, combating illegal operations, and ensuring effective tax collection. It will be led by the newly established PlayCity agency, which replaced the ineffective Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) on April 1, 2025.
As detailed by the Ministry’s Telegram channel (translated using Google Translate), the new system will have a defined purpose and goals, to be supported with collaboration and feedback from industry partners.
The online monitoring system for the gambling sector will be equipped to monitor legal activities in real-time, providing immediate access to operational data.
With the availability of information on how much money is being wagered and won on bets, as well as volumes, this will be used to influence tax policy.
To develop the new online monitoring system, the Ministry has arranged public consultations to gather feedback from IT companies with an emphasis on a collaborative approach to ensure quality and functionality.
Pivotal development for the gambling market
PlayCity, under the remit of the Ministry, will be responsible for digitizing the licensing process and implementing the online monitoring system, while it has also made progress in identifying and blocking illegal gambling operations, with over 800 illegal online casinos uncovered in just two weeks last month.
This wider effort is part of a broader strategy to eliminate unlicensed operators, particularly those with ties to Russia, and to relaunch the unregulated lottery market.
Viktoriia Zakrevska, deputy head of the Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC), has intimated that the launch of the monitoring system is expected to be a pivotal moment in transforming Ukraine’s gambling market.
It is expected to enhance accountability, reduce illicit financial flows, and boost tax revenues to support national priorities, such as defense.
The regulated gambling industry in Ukraine is said to have contributed UAH 17 billion ($406.2 million) in taxes in 2024 and UAH 6.4 billion ($152.9 million across the first four months of 2025.
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