Ukraine plans to launch a national online gambling monitoring system to track legal bets and ensure compliance with tax laws. The move comes amid months of regulatory disruption following the suspension of its state-run gambling operator. Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation has already commenced work on a state-owned platform to monitor offshore gambling operators.
Ukraine to Launch Gambling Monitoring System: Headlines
- Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation is developing a national online gambling monitoring system to improve tax compliance, increase transparency, and restrict the unregulated market.
- The system will log all legal bets in real time, store data on accepted and returned bets, and winnings. Authorities will also allow public access to aggregate market data, improving the state’s ability to identify tax obligations.
- The government aims to build a predictable tax policy and gather feedback from tech providers to ensure the platform is effective, convenient, and efficient for all stakeholders.
New Government Platform to Oversee Betting Transactions
The Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation recently announced plans to develop a gambling monitoring system to oversee gambling transactions, ensure tax obligations are met, and limit the influence of unregulated gambling operators. The government’s decision comes after months of uncertainty in the regulatory environment following a nation-wide crackdown on illegal gambling operators linked to Russia.
Following the incident, the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) was dissolved and quickly replaced by PlayCity, which works under the direct supervision of Mykhailo Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science, and Technology Development.
The new system will monitor and track every legal bet within Ukraine’s digital network in real-time and keep track of all the bets that have been accepted or returned, along with winnings. The government confirmed plans to allow public access to determine tax obligations and improve the state’s ability to aggregate market data.
The government announced that public consultations will be held on July 21, 2025. IT companies are invited to register by July 18. The government’s official statement read:
The online gambling monitoring system will become a key tool for qualitative changes in the entire sector. We are creating a transparent, open and fair market where the whole country benefits.
Ukraine’s New Gambling Regulator Takes Over
Following the controversy in 2024, Ukraine launched PlayCity, the new gambling regulator. Ivan Rudyl, the head of Ukraine’s former gambling regulator, was arrested on charges of allowing Russian-backed gambling operators to target Ukrainian consumers. The old gambling regulator was suspended in March 2023.
The organisation was disbanded by presidential decree amid long-standing concerns of ineffectiveness and corruption. As a result, PlayCity came directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Under the ministry’s purview, PlayCity will be responsible for licence applications, identifying and blocking illegal gambling operators, and maintaining regulatory oversight.
Keeping the current situation in mind, a group of IT professionals within Ukraine’s iGaming industry came together to develop software capable of identifying illegal casino operators within Ukrainian territory. Gambling operators have stepped up efforts to help the government in its mission to curb the menace of illegal online gambling.
The group claims to have already identified 50 unlawful gambling operators within Ukrainian borders. Meanwhile, PlayCity has also increased efforts to bring up its security network. The framework includes a self-exclusion register, which will be updated and enforced regularly.