Ukraine has issued its first lottery licences in more than 12 years, generating over UAH 72m (€1.7m) in revenue for the state budget as authorities move to formalise the sector.
The licences were awarded by the country’s new gambling regulator PlayCity to three operators: MSL, Patriot and Ukrainian National Lottery.
The move marks the first official licensing of lottery operators since the previous permits expired between 2013 and 2014 – since then, PlayCity says the market has been operating without effective regulation.
PlayCity replaced KRAIL as the nation’s gambling regulator in 2025 and this relicensing process forms part of a broader effort by the Ukrainian government to bring greater transparency and oversight to the gambling and lottery business.
Under the new system, operators must implement updated compliance and reporting requirements, including electronic monitoring and real-time oversight of lottery activity.
All three licence holders were already active in the domestic lottery market and were the only applicants to participate in the recent licensing tender – from the beginning of the licensing term, it is mandatory that they now report sales and payment details to PlayCity.
The licences are expected to remain valid for the duration of martial law plus one additional year, but, regardless, they cannot last for less than three years.
This is to give time to make sure the system works, without locking into the current model irrevocably.
Ukraine re-legalised gambling in 2020 after more than a decade of prohibition
