Gambling advertising regulation in Ukraine is gradually moving toward a more mature framework built on digital monitoring, interagency cooperation, and collaboration with global online platforms. Hennadii Novikov, Head of Ukraine’s State Agency PlayCity, explained how gambling advertising monitoring and enforcement in Ukraine have transformed over the past year – from fragmented oversight to a more systematic, digital and cooperation-based model.
According to Novikov, gambling advertising is one of the most sensitive areas of market regulation, especially in the online environment. Ukraine’s approach is based on a clear principle: gambling may be promoted only by operators holding a valid licence issued by the competent Ukrainian regulator.
At the same time, illegal advertising does not always mean advertising of an illegal operator. Even a licensed gambling operator may violate the law if the format, placement, targeting, wording or required warnings do not comply with Ukrainian legislation. Therefore, PlayCity focuses not only on whether the operator is licensed, but also on how gambling products are promoted to the public.
Under Ukrainian legislation, gambling advertising is significantly restricted. It may be placed only in clearly defined formats and environments, including linear audiovisual and audio media between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., specialised gambling or sports publications intended for people over 21, the official websites and mobile applications of licensed operators, the official pages of operators on digital platforms, and registered online media intended for an audience over 21. Advertising on digital platforms is only acceptable when it can be targeted to users aged 21 and older.
At the same time, gambling advertising is not allowed in formats or places that may reach minors or mislead consumers. It must not create the impression that gambling is an easy way to win money or a source of income, must not involve persons under 21, and must include responsible gambling warnings. Advertising must also contain licence information, including the licence number, date of issue and the name of the authority that issued it.
For PlayCity, combating illegal gambling advertising has become one of the key areas of work. Before the agency began operating, Ukraine did not have a systematic model for identifying, stopping and sanctioning such violations. Over the past year, PlayCity has started building this model in practice.
One of the most important tools is cooperation with international digital platforms. PlayCity has established effective interaction with Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok, Viber, Twitch and Kick. This allows the agency to respond faster to violations in the digital environment, especially on social media, messengers and streaming platforms.
Through cooperation with these platforms, PlayCity has already submitted more than 700 accounts for blocking. These accounts systematically distributed illegal gambling advertising. Such blocking is not a financial sanction, but an operational tool to stop an ongoing violation and prevent traffic from being driven to gambling through illegal advertising.
After illegal content is stopped, PlayCity continues working to identify the persons responsible for placing or distributing the advertisement. Once the responsible party is established, the agency may apply financial sanctions under Ukrainian law. Since the start of PlayCity’s work, 18 violators have been fined for illegal gambling advertising, with the total amount of fines reaching almost USD 2 million.
For PlayCity, the fight against illegal gambling advertising is also a player protection issue. The purpose is not only to stop prohibited content, but to reduce people’s exposure to manipulative promotion, misleading promises of easy winnings and advertising that does not meet legal and responsible gambling standards.
Advertising enforcement is part of a broader transformation of gambling regulation in Ukraine. PlayCity is restoring state supervision, strengthening reporting requirements, improving cooperation with law enforcement authorities and developing a more transparent regulatory environment for licensed businesses.
A key priority is digitalisation. Ukraine is moving from fragmented manual control to modern digital infrastructure, including online monitoring tools, digital licensing processes, analytical systems and mechanisms that allow the state to react faster and more effectively to risks in the gambling and lottery markets.
As part of this approach, PlayCity has developed and launched an online tool that allows citizens to report suspected illegal gambling advertising directly through the agency’s website. A complaint can be submitted in just a few minutes by selecting the relevant platform, adding a link and attaching screenshots or video. The tool can also preserve time-limited content, such as social media Stories, so that it remains available for review after disappearing from the platform.
The information submitted through the tool helps PlayCity verify potential violations, identify the persons responsible, and take appropriate enforcement measures. Where a violation is confirmed, these measures may include the removal or blocking of illegal content, the blocking of accounts and pages that distribute it, and the application of financial sanctions in accordance with Ukrainian law.
These changes are expected to make the Ukrainian gambling market more predictable, transparent and accountable. For licensed operators, this means clearer rules and a fairer competitive environment. For the state, it means stronger oversight and better tools to respond to violations. For the industry as a whole, it is a shift towards a more mature regulatory model based on data, cooperation and responsibility.
