The Ukrainian Supreme Court has ruled that mentioning a casino by name or through its logo still counts as advertising gambling.
This comes as part of case no. 320/33758/24, which was opened on 18 April 2024 after Radio Lux mentioned gambling operators on a billboard advertisement.
The case was started by KRAIL, the previous Ukrainian Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, and seen through by its successor, PlayCity.
KRAIL imposed a fine on PJSC TV and Radio Company Lux, but the companies appealed this, and the case was taken to court.
However, the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the regulator and confirmed that any mention of gambling operators on billboards counted as gambling advertising.
Gennadiy Novikov, PlayCity Head, explained: “This decision creates practice and clear requirements for the market, making it impossible to try to circumvent the legislation by placing ‘just a logo’ or ‘just a name’ on advertising platforms.
“Legal determination is always about the balance of the interests of the state, business and society. And that's exactly the determination that has been formed now.”
This supports PlayCity's focus on tightening gambling regulation in the country, which has seen the regulator push for better monitoring, licensing and enforcement processes over the past year.
Last month, Novikov held a meeting with other relevant committee members to reflect on the progress made by PlayCity since it was launched in 2025.
One of its most recent achievements was selecting new lottery operators, MSL, Patriot and Ukrainian National Lottery, as part of an open bidding process for the licences.
Radio Lux is an online live stream radio site that describes itself as “A place for a good mood”
