Ukraine is seeking closer cooperation with the United Kingdom as Kyiv prepares a new phase of gambling regulation focused on stronger supervision, player protection and data-led enforcement.
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Natalia Denikeeva is expected to hold talks with the UK Gambling Commission as Ukrainian officials examine how Britain balances strict market controls with the need to avoid excessive regulatory burdens. The two sides are also considering a memorandum of cooperation that could formalise the exchange of regulatory expertise.
The initiative comes a little more than a year after Ukraine replaced its previous gambling authority with PlayCity, a regulator linked to the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Officials are now discussing whether PlayCity should move under direct government oversight or whether certain responsibilities should be transferred to the Ministry of Finance.
| Strategic area | Current Ukrainian position | Relevant UK benchmark | Potential reform outcome | Main implementation risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory governance | PlayCity operates as an agency associated with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, although alternative oversight structures are being discussed | The UK Gambling Commission operates as a specialised licensing and enforcement authority regulating businesses and individuals across the British gambling market | Clearer institutional independence, stronger accountability and better separation between policymaking and enforcement | Moving responsibilities between ministries could disrupt ongoing regulatory projects or create overlapping authority |
| Operator supervision | Ukraine is expanding inspections, licensing controls and near-real-time monitoring | The UK model combines licensing conditions, compliance reviews, public registers and enforcement actions | More consistent assessment of operators throughout the full licence lifecycle | Complex compliance rules could increase costs for smaller licensed businesses |
| Player protection | Financial limits, time controls, self-exclusion and addiction-prevention policies are being developed | Britain applies structured safer-gambling, age-verification and financial-risk requirements | Earlier identification of vulnerable players and stronger intervention standards | Measures considered too intrusive may drive some consumers toward illegal platforms |
| Illegal-market enforcement | PlayCity blocks websites, tracks mirror domains and cooperates with digital platforms | UK regulators use licensing enforcement, investigations, payment disruption and public regulatory actions | Coordinated action against websites, advertising networks and payment channels | Offshore operators can rapidly change domains, brands and transaction methods |
| Evidence-led regulation | Ukraine has begun national surveys and digital transaction monitoring | The UK publishes gambling research, statistics and market-wide survey data | Policies based on measurable consumer behaviour rather than assumptions | Weak methodology or incomplete data could undermine confidence in reforms |
The UK Gambling Commission licenses and regulates gambling businesses in Great Britain while also publishing research, maintaining public registers and taking enforcement action against operators that breach regulatory requirements. These functions appear particularly relevant to Ukraine as it develops a more mature supervisory model.
Ukraine has already reported substantial progress under PlayCity. During its first year, the regulator issued 250 licences, including 11 operator licences, 23 business-to-business licences, 213 gaming-equipment licences and three lottery licences. Authorities also reported almost UAH17 billion in gambling tax revenue during 2025 and more than UAH3.48 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
Enforcement has also intensified. PlayCity submitted more than 4,100 illegal gambling websites for blocking, requested restrictions on more than 700 social-media accounts promoting unlawful gambling and imposed nearly UAH80 million in advertising-related fines. Licensed operators received more than UAH988 million in regulatory penalties following scheduled and unscheduled inspections.
| Reform pillar | Action already taken | Reported scale or result | Next-stage objective | Likely regulatory significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing | Licensing activity restored across operators, suppliers, equipment and lotteries | 250 licences issued during PlayCity’s first year | Introduce more transparent approval, renewal and ownership-control procedures | Creates clearer entry standards while improving the regulator’s visibility over market participants |
| Illegal website control | Websites submitted for blocking and mirror-domain detection automated | More than 4,100 illegal sites identified; blocking time reduced to approximately one day | Connect domain detection with payment blocking, advertising restrictions and law-enforcement investigations | Makes it harder for unlicensed operators to rebuild their operations after individual domains are closed |
| Advertising enforcement | Cooperation established with major technology and social-media platforms | More than 700 accounts targeted; almost UAH80 million in fines imposed | Build permanent reporting and evidence-sharing channels with online platforms | Reduces illegal operators’ ability to acquire customers through influencers, streaming and targeted advertising |
| Digital monitoring | State Online Monitoring System launched in pilot form | First 12 operators connected; infrastructure designed to process over 10,000 transactions per second | Add deeper analytics, equipment controls and game-result monitoring | Enables near-real-time supervision instead of relying mainly on retrospective operator reports |
| Player protection | Online self-exclusion, financial limits and time restrictions introduced | More than 3,000 self-restriction requests processed in 2026 | Develop unified risk indicators and coordinated addiction-prevention measures | Moves responsible gambling from voluntary operator practice toward enforceable regulatory standards |
| Public research | National gambling-attitude research commissioned | 3,164 respondents surveyed | Use follow-up research to shape evidence-based legislation | Provides policymakers with behavioural and public-opinion data, although methodology transparency remains important |
Public attitudes are likely to influence the direction of the reforms. A survey involving 3,164 Ukrainians found that only 5% said they had gambled during the previous year and 2% during the previous month. Nevertheless, 74% supported stronger player-protection measures, while 67% wanted more gambling regulation. Respondents prioritised stronger legal oversight, action against illegal operators, tougher age restrictions and responsible-gambling education.
The apparent gap between low reported participation and strong concern about gambling illustrates the challenge facing policymakers. Regulators must respond to public anxiety and risks affecting groups such as young people and military personnel without imposing controls that make the licensed market uncompetitive.
Ukraine’s Responsible Gambling Center also plans to study regulatory and treatment practices in Estonia and Portugal. Meetings are expected to involve government bodies, gambling operators and mental-health specialists, broadening the reform programme beyond the UK comparison.
The success of the next phase will therefore depend less on copying individual UK rules and more on adapting established regulatory principles to Ukraine’s institutional, economic and wartime conditions. A cooperation agreement with the UK Gambling Commission could provide valuable expertise, but Ukraine will still need to maintain regulatory continuity, complete its digital monitoring infrastructure and ensure that stronger consumer protections do not unintentionally strengthen the illegal market.