Ukraine has transferred coordination of gambling regulator PlayCity directly to the Prime Minister as the country continues restructuring oversight of its gambling and lottery sector.
Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No 1133, dated 17 September, amends the regulations governing the State Agency of Ukraine PlayCity.
Under the changes, the agency remains a central executive authority implementing state policy for gambling and lotteries, but its activities will now be coordinated by the Prime Minister.
Previously, PlayCity was coordinated through the Minister of Digital Transformation. The agency’s organisational structure will also require agreement from the Prime Minister.
The governance change follows a period of leadership turnover. The Cabinet dismissed PlayCity head Gennady Novikov on 26 August, several months after the regulator began operating under Ukraine’s restructured gambling oversight framework.
PlayCity was established in 2025 following the dissolution of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries. Its remit includes licensing, supervision of gambling operators, advertising enforcement and implementation of Ukraine’s State Online Monitoring System.
The monitoring system has become a central element of Ukraine’s efforts to increase visibility over the regulated market. Its first phase entered test operation in April 2026 and collects transactional information covering bets, winnings, refunds and other financial activity.
By August, PlayCity reported that 28 of Ukraine’s 31 licensed gambling operators had connected to the system.
The regulator has also moved towards a second phase of the monitoring project, which is intended to expand the information collected from operators.
The planned additions include game results, gaming-machine parameters and transactions involving substitutes for the hryvnia.
Alongside monitoring reforms, PlayCity has increased enforcement activity relating to illegal gambling and advertising. It has sought greater cooperation with digital platforms and international technology suppliers to restrict services provided to operators targeting Ukrainian players without local licences.
The Cabinet has also adopted Ukraine’s first national strategy addressing gambling addiction, extending the regulatory reform programme beyond licensing and financial monitoring into player protection.
Earlier this month, PlayCity proposed tighter responsible gambling requirements covering player spending and playing time. The proposals would require players to establish limits before gambling, while operators would monitor behaviour including playing duration, breaks and changes in spending.
Ukraine’s gambling addiction strategy runs to 2035, alongside an operational plan covering 2027 to 2029
