Ukraine: PlayCity consults on repealing former regulator’s decisions

Ukraine’s gambling regulator, PlayCity, has launched public consultations on a draft order that proposes repealing certain decisions adopted by the former regulator, KRAIL.

The consultation forms part of the agency’s regulatory work to align existing regulations and decisions with Ukraine’s legal framework.

PlayCity said it would publish a report summarising the consultation results on its official website no later than two weeks after the decisions are made following the discussions.

This development comes as the Ministry of Digital Transformation is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s gambling regulatory framework. The proposed changes will cover gambling legislation, taxation and the state lottery system.

Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Natalia Denikeeva outlined the Government’s priorities in an interview with local media.

The Ministry argues that the 2020 legalisation of gambling was not accompanied by comprehensive alignment of all related legislation. As a result, certain provisions across the regulatory framework now conflict.

Aligning the three legislative areas is therefore a key step toward creating a more predictable operating environment for the sector.

Denikeeva pointed to the absence of major international gambling companies from the Ukrainian market since legalisation as evidence that the current regulatory environment still hinders investment.

Another major component of the proposed reform is digitising gambling licensing through Diia, Ukraine’s government digital services platform.

Meanwhile, in September, the country introduced new cybersecurity requirements for gambling and lottery operators as it continues to rebuild its regulatory framework under PlayCity.

Lawmakers also recently strengthened financial monitoring requirements for the gambling sector, introducing new indicators to identify potentially suspicious player transactions and account activity.