Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Tax Committee has backed a draft law which aims to overhaul the leadership and governance of PlayCity.
The legislation would allow civil service competitions for PlayCity positions despite martial-law restrictions and introduce a competitive process to select the regulator’s head.
It would also strengthen integrity requirements for PlayCity officials and introduce an independent external audit of the regulator, with international expert involvement.
Tax Committee Chairman Danylo Hetmantsev said the reforms are intended to ensure a transparent selection process, renew PlayCity’s management and accelerate key reforms, including the planned commercial launch of the DSOM system. The committee’s recommendation is only an initial legislative step.
Gennady Novikov resignation and lottery sector overhaul
In separate news, the Cabinet of Ministers has dismissed Gennady Novikov from the position of PlayCity Head. Instead of Novikov, his deputy, Oleksiy Tomashuk, will lead the regulator. This dismissal comes as a formality, following Novikov’s voluntary resignation in July.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Government announced it is preparing reforms to the lottery sector that would remove references to state ownership. Under the proposed legislation, the term “state lottery” would be removed from the legal framework as the state does not currently own lottery operators.
Officials said the existing terminology creates a misleading perception of state ownership. Another key change would replace the current licensing competition process with an auction system, in which operators are selected based on the highest annual licence fee offer. The Government also plans to ban “Toto” lotteries, which are considered disguised forms of sports betting.
Earlier this week, PlayCity opened a tender for a software module designed to automate restrictions on military personnel accessing gambling in Ukraine
