Ukrainian agency PlayCity launched: new gambling regulator to digitize licensing, eliminate illegal casinos with Russian ties
Ukraine's State Agency PlayCity for regulating the gambling industry has officially begun operations, the Ministry of Digital Transformation announced.
"The State Agency PlayCity is now operational. Its goal is to make the gambling and lottery market transparent and accountable... PlayCity was established to replace the ineffective Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries," Ministry of Digital Transformation said in a statement on Monday.
Among the agency's top priorities are digitizing the licensing process, launching a national online monitoring system to oversee legal casinos in real time, eliminating illegal gambling establishments, and restarting the lottery market.
"Currently, the lottery business is operating without licensing requirements, which means it doesn't pay license fees and isn't subject to government oversight," the ministry noted.
PlayCity's responsibilities will also include relaunching the problem gamblers registry, notably by integrating it into the Diia.Engine platform, and enabling individuals to submit self-exclusion requests via the Diia app.
Another major objective for PlayCity is to eradicate gambling operations with ties to Russia from the Ukrainian market, Ministry of Digital Transformation said.
"Every year, the national budget loses up to UAH 10 billion in taxes due to the shadow gambling and lottery market. Bringing this sector out of the shadows will generate a significant boost in tax revenues, which can then be directed toward strengthening the country's defense," the statement added.
The head of the new state agency is Hennadiy Novikov, a lawyer with public administration experience. He previously served as deputy head of the Gambling Regulation Commission's secretariat and, due to his expertise and understanding of the industry, supported Ministry of Digital Transformation's vision for dismantling the former regulator.
In his previous role, Novikov initiated the process of blocking illegal online casinos. In 2024 alone, over 4,500 such sites were taken down. He also facilitated inspections of gambling operators for legal compliance, resulting in nearly UAH 18 million in fines, the ministry said.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers established PlayCity on March 21 to implement state policy in the gambling and lottery sectors. On April 8, the Cabinet appointed Novikov as its head.
