PlayCity, Ukraine’s iGaming regulator launched in June 2025 to replace the dissolved KRAIL, has introduced a new online system allowing citizens to instantly report illegal gambling advertisements.
This digital tool, hosted on the regulator’s official website, is designed to eliminate paperwork and streamline the enforcement process.
Streamlined Reporting and Enforcement
The platform allows users to report violations across various media, including:
- Digital: Social networks and websites.
- Broadcast: Television and radio.
- Physical: Outdoor advertising spaces.
Complainants can upload links, screenshots, or videos through a simple form. Notably, the system is designed to handle ephemeral content like social media stories. When a link to a story is submitted, the system automatically downloads the content so PlayCity staff can review it even after it expires online.
“We continue to digitalize processes in the field of gambling regulation and make interaction with PlayCity even more convenient,” the regulator stated.
Stiff Penalties and Platform Partnerships
Violators face severe consequences, including fines of up to ₴5,188,200 ($120,000). PlayCity is also empowered to order social media platforms to block illegal content or shut down repeat offenders. To strengthen these efforts, the agency has established direct partnerships with Meta, Google, TikTok, Twitch, Viber, and YouTube.
Recent enforcement actions included the removal of a YouTube channel with 3,000 subscribers and a promotional video on a channel with over 133,000 subscribers.
In the eleven months since its inception, Ukraine’s regulator PlayCity has already issued nearly ₴80 million ($1.8 million) in fines and has successfully transitioned the entire licensing process online through the Diia platform.
