Gambling licences in Ukraine have been informed that their transactions will be recorded by a new ‘State Online Monitoring System’.

The measure was confirmed via a Telegram message issued on Sunday 31 August by the Cabinet of Ministers, governing Ukraine under conflict from Russia.

The Cabinet announced that it had approved a resolution on state registries, enabling all gambling transactions to be track and traced through the monitoring system.

The Online Monitoring System will support PlayCity—the newly established regulatory authority for Ukrainian gambling by enabling real-time tracking of bets, returns, and winnings.

The platform seeks to improve transparency by facilitating the “live verification of operator data to ensure regulatory compliance”, while also allowing PlayCity to publish market volume data providing accurate data for enforcements and policy making. 

Integration with the monitoring system will apply to both land-based and online operators, including casinos, arcades, bookmakers, and online poker rooms. A public tender for the platform’s development is expected to be announced shortly, as Kyiv presses ahead with regulatory reforms despite the ongoing war.

PlayCity to bring structural reform

The implementation of the monitoring system forms part of a broader overhaul of Ukraine’s gambling sector, which saw the cabinet dissolve the former regulator, KRAIL – with the agency  embroiled in multiple corruption scandals, including allegations of money laundering and ties to Russian operatives.

In its place, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy authorised a new regulator, PlayCity, which officially began operations on 1 April with a mandate to implement state policy across gambling and lotteries, deemed as high risk sectors under conflict. 

On 8 April, the Cabinet appointed Hennadiy Novikov as head of PlayCity. Novikov, who previously served as both a member and deputy head of KRAIL, has long-standing ties to the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

PlayCity operates under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and has been tasked with ensuring transparency, protecting consumers, and restoring public trust in the gambling industry.

Licences demand urgent clarity

Ukraine’s government is preparing a slate of legislative changes aimed at tightening control over the sector, including a blanket ban on gambling advertising, a new register for B2B licences, and centralised powers for PlayCity to block illegal gambling websites.

These reforms come amid growing concerns about excessive gambling, with the National Bank warning that Ukrainian citizens are spending nearly UAH 400m (around €8m) daily on online platforms.

Amid the wider regulatory overhaul, Ukrainian gambling operators, many of whom have been sidelined by the conflict, are calling on the government to provide clear, enforceable, and transparent rules due disputed charges placed by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

With former operators facing licence suspensions, account freezes, and blacklisting abroad, stakeholders are urging policymakers to resolve lingering legal ambiguities and establish a stable, fair regulatory framework capable of supporting the sector’s long-term recovery.