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Sovereign state
Europe
ISO UA

Ukraine: gambling regulation and licensing

  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
  • Land-based (reference)Regulated
Regulator
PlayCity
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Not yet verified
Last verified
30 Aug 2026

Summary

Ukraine legalised gambling in 2020 after roughly a decade of prohibition, creating a licensed market across online casino, betting, poker and land-based venues. The more important fact for anyone assessing the market now is that its regulator has been replaced. The original regulator, the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, known as KRAIL, was abolished by a law signed on 4 January 2025, following the detention of its head in 2024 over alleged support for a Russian-linked online casino operating in Ukraine. The state agency PlayCity was created on 21 March 2025 and took over from 1 April, sitting under the Ministry of Digital Transformation, with a stated remit to digitise licensing and reduce the corruption risk that brought its predecessor down. Anyone reading older guidance on Ukraine will find the wrong regulator named. That is the single most common error in current material on this market. Anyone relying on pre-2025 material will name the abolished commission and miss the reason it was abolished, which speaks directly to counterparty risk in the market. PlayCity's digitisation remit is the thing to track, since it determines whether the licensing process itself has changed in substance.

Common pitfalls

Older sources name KRAIL as the regulator. It was abolished in 2025 and replaced by PlayCity.

Key facts

Regulator
PlayCity (PlayCity)
Regulator type
Dedicated regulator
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Not yet verified
Minimum age
Not yet verified
Tax base
Not yet verified
Capital
Kyiv
Currency
UAH
Official languages
Ukrainian

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Affiliate rules
Affiliates are not separately licensed. Advertising rules apply to the promotion regardless of who publishes it, and PlayCity has acted against unlawful advertising in the market.
Social media rules
Online advertising is within the regime. The original restriction was framed around where gambling and bookmaker advertising could appear on the internet.
Penalties for breach
PlayCity supervises the market and can order unlawful advertising removed, with financial penalties reported at up to 4.8 million hryvnias for breach of the distribution rules.

Restrictions

  • A broad restriction on gambling and bookmaker advertising was imposed by Cabinet of Ministers resolution in 2024, amounting in practice to a ban.
  • Legislative changes signed on 3 January 2025 and in force from 1 April 2025 partially relaxed the position, allowing gambling advertising again subject to defined conditions.
  • The 2025 changes are framed around responsible promotion, setting requirements on how gambling may be presented rather than restoring the previous freedom.
  • Breach of the advertising rules can attract fines reported at up to 4.8 million hryvnias.
  • PlayCity has supervised the market since 1 April 2025, replacing the abolished commission, and has ordered operators to remove unlawful advertising.

Outlook

PlayCity is new and its licensing practice is still being established, so treat process timelines with caution. The market also operates under wartime conditions, which affects everything from payments to advertising and is not captured by the licensing framework alone.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates gambling in Ukraine?
PlayCity, a state agency created on 21 March 2025 under the Ministry of Digital Transformation. It replaced KRAIL, which was abolished by a law signed in January 2025.
Is online casino legal in Ukraine?
Yes, under the 2020 law on state regulation of gambling activities, licensed and supervised by PlayCity.

iGT coverage of Ukraine

Sources

  1. PlayCity

    PlayCity (Ukraine state agency)

    Tier 1Accessed 22 Aug 2026
  2. Ukraine introduces new gambling regulator following KRAIL collapse

    NEXT.io

    Tier 2Accessed 22 Aug 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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