On July 8, 2025, in compliance with the directive from the State Special Communications, 133 illegal online casinos were closed in Ukraine.
This was reported by the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Business Operators (AUGBO).
«Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, State Special Communications, NKEC, and the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Business Operators completed a large-scale operation to block 133 illegal online casinos operating in the Ukrainian internet space. The corresponding directive from State Special Communications dated July 1, 2025, No. 435/3236 regarding the blocking of IP addresses/websites was sent to Ukrainian internet providers and relevant associations on July 3, 2025, and is mandatory for execution within 3 working days», the statement said.
According to AUGBO, the shadow business that was halted brought in an illegal turnover of between 3 to 5 billion UAH quarterly.
The activities of illegal online casinos were blocked using technical and software tools. Illegal financial processing was also stopped, and relevant P2P payments were frozen.
The association reported that currently, up to 50% of the gambling market remains in the shadows, resulting in an annual loss to the state of up to 10 billion UAH. Meanwhile, licensed gambling operators in Ukraine paid over 17 billion UAH in taxes last year, and 6.4 billion UAH from January to April 2025.
As stated by AUGBO president Oleksandr Kogut, illegal casinos, most of which have roots in the Russian Federation, directly harm the state, legitimate businesses, and most importantly, Ukrainian citizens. These sites, which are frequently cloned after being blocked, pose a high risk of fraud and leakage of players' personal and financial data.
AUGBO reminded that since February 14, 2025, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been responsible for shaping and implementing state policy in the area of gambling in Ukraine. On March 21, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the establishment of a new central executive authority - the state agency «PlayCity». The fight against illegal casinos is one of the priority tasks of the new gambling business regulator.
As reported, within two weeks of operation, the «PlayCity» agency identified and forwarded 824 illegal online casinos for blocking to the National Commission regulating electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum, and postal services.