UKRAINE REGULATION
Navigating the evolution: A comprehensive review of Ukraine’s gambling sector transformation CHANGE IN REGULATION AND PRACTICE IS FAST MOVING FINDS OLENA VODOLAZHKO
decision-making, which materially limited its operational capacity. The Ukrainian Parliament has therefore moved toward a single-lead regulatory model that is expected to be more capable of discharging day-to-day licensing, supervisory and enforcement functions. These reforms also resulted in a formal separation of regulatory functions. The policy-making role previously exercised by the Commission was transferred to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, while implementation of that policy – including licensing, supervision, enforcement and regulatory control – was assigned to the newly established State Agency “PlayCity”. The Cabinet of Ministers first created
Introduction Almost a year has passed since Ukraine dissolved the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries and designated a new regulator for the gambling and lottery sector. The original Commission was established after gambling was legalized in Ukraine in 2020 under Law No. 768-IX and held the full scope of regulatory powers, including functions related to shaping gambling regulatory policy. 1 The decision to replace the Commission was primarily driven by concerns about the effectiveness of the collegiate model it followed. In practice, the Commission’s work was repeatedly impeded by its inability to achieve the quorum required for
1 Law of Ukraine No. 768-IX “On State Regulation of Activities Regarding the Organization and Conduct of Gambling”, 14 July 2020. https://za- kon.rada.gov.ua/go/768-20
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IMGL MAGAZINE | JUNE 2026
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