Full Control Over Licensed Gambling
Ukraine is preparing to launch a national online monitoring system for the gambling industry, which will allow authorities to track every financial transaction within licensed casinos and betting companies.
The announcement was made by Hennadii Novikov, Head of the State Gambling Regulator PlayCity, who emphasized that this system — absent in Ukraine’s previous regulator KRAIL — will finally establish full financial transparency in the sector.
According to Novikov, the tender for developing the system was won by Computer Information Technologies LLC (Kitsoft), the Ukrainian IT company behind major public digital products such as Diia and Kyiv Digital.
“This year we must implement more than half of the entire functionality of the state online monitoring system. It’s a large-scale task, so experienced developers with the capacity for rapid implementation were selected,” Novikov said.
He added that Kitsoft’s proven record in government digital infrastructure projects was a decisive factor, since state contracts include severe penalties for delays or non-performance.
How the Online Monitoring System Works
The online monitoring system will become the primary government tool for regulating the legal gambling market.
It will be mandatory for all licensed operators and will record every stage of financial flow — from the moment a player deposits money at a casino or bookmaker to the conversion into gaming credits, internal transactions, and final payouts of winnings.
All this data will be automatically transmitted to the state system, to which PlayCity and other authorized state institutions will have access.
“This ensures that the state can fully control the legal gambling market and guarantees transparency of all financial transactions,” Novikov explained.
Tracking and Blocking Illegal Gambling Sites
In parallel, PlayCity has launched a tracking system for illegal gambling websites, which became operational in August 2025.
The system identifies unlicensed platforms and their mirror sites, sending this information to the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) for immediate blocking by internet providers.
“In the first month alone, PlayCity received over 430 public complaints about illegal gambling sites. The algorithm automatically detects mirror sites, which is crucial for effective enforcement,” Novikov noted.
The system operates in coordination with the Bureau of Economic Security, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), and other agencies.
Results and Economic Impact
Between July and September 2025, Ukrainian authorities:
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Blocked over 850 illegal online casinos;
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Restricted dozens of bloggers’ accounts promoting illegal gambling;
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Issued fines totaling UAH 24 million to five individuals;
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Collected UAH 592 million in license fees from legal market participants.
Experts emphasize that the dual system of real-time monitoring and illegal site tracking will not only increase state revenues but also reduce the shadow economy by eliminating tax evasion and illegal payment channels.
“Blocking sites is only one part of the policy. The main goal is to bring the market out of the shadows and strengthen Ukraine’s financial stability,” — summarized Novikov.
