UKRAINE REGULATION
and could worsen the situation by pushing vulnerable players toward illegal platforms. A total prohibition is unlikely to be effective unless accompanied by prevention, education, early intervention and access to confidential support. A comprehensive and strategic approach is required. This should include a clear policy direction, systematic research, involvement of civil society, the public-health sector and the military community itself, as well as a national support infrastructure. The state’s recent movement toward player protection tools, including self-exclusion mechanisms and public complaint channels, is important, but it should become part of a broader harm-minimization strategy rather than remain a set of separate digital instruments. 15 Gambling regulation and Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery The reform of Ukraine’s gambling regulatory framework carries significance beyond the sector itself. By strengthening transparency, improving supervisory capacity and reducing the influence of the illegal market, effective regulation can generate measurable fiscal benefits: increased tax revenues from the legal gambling sector and a broader tax base derived from operators brought within the regulated framework. Official materials of the Ministry of Digital Transformation report that UAH 1.7 billion was received by the budget from licensed gambling organizers in 2025. [16] Lottery licensing alone generated more than UAH 72 million in budget revenues. [11] These figures show why gambling regulation is not only a sectoral matter but also a fiscal and economic governance issue.
Ukraine’s gambling sector has been identified as a potential contributor to post-war economic recovery and growth, with public revenues capable of supporting regulatory, social and reconstruction objectives. However, this potential will only be realized if the legal market is stable, predictable and genuinely transparent. A licence must become not only a formal permission to operate, but a marker of technical compliance, responsible conduct and regulatory trust. Conclusion In conclusion, Ukraine’s gambling sector has undergone a period of significant transformation. Important progress has been made in the digitalisation of regulatory processes, the development of new supervisory tools, and the modernization of the legal framework. At the same time, many of the reforms remain at an early stage of implementation, and their long- term effectiveness will depend on their ability to deliver measurable improvements in market transparency, player protection, regulatory efficiency, and the reduction of illegal gambling activity. Ukraine’s experience remains particularly distinctive because these reforms are being implemented under the extraordinary conditions of an ongoing war. As the sector continues to evolve, the effective use of international expertise and evidence-based regulatory practices may play an important role in supporting the development of a transparent, sustainable, and socially responsible gambling market.
OLENA VODOLAZHKO Former member, Ukrainin Gambling and Lottery Commission For more information contact o.vodolazhko@gmail.com
15 PlayCity, “Prevention of gambling addiction” / self-exclusion and support information. https://playcity.gov.ua/ borotba-z-ihrovoiu-zalezhnistiu
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IMGL MAGAZINE | JUNE 2026
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