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Laws of Ukraine on gambling
Ukraine in 2020 restarted the gambling market, establishing uniform rules for offline and online. The main goals of the reform are the protection of players, the transparency of payments, the fight against the "shadow" segment and the inflow of investments. Below is a practical analysis: what formats are allowed, how licenses are arranged, what the regulator requires and what to pay attention to for players and business.
Who regulates and what is legal
State regulator. Market supervision is carried out by a specialized body (Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries - KRAIL). He issues licenses, monitors compliance with the law, maintains registers and initiates inspections.
What is allowed with a license:- Online casinos (slots, tables, live content from accredited providers).
- Online sports betting and mutual settlements in an interactive form.
- Poker (online and offline in the established format).
- Land casinos - in hotels of the corresponding category and specially permitted locations.
- Game halls with electronic devices - according to separate placement rules.
- Lotteries - in a separate legal regime.
Prohibited: activities without a license, admission of minors, manipulative advertising, illegal payment schemes, "gray" mirrors, etc.
Types of licenses and basic requirements
The main types are:1. Online casino license.
2. License for betting activities (including online).
3. Poker license (online/offline - by format).
4. Land casino license.
5. Gaming halls and equipment licenses.
6. Separate permissions for critical service providers (platform, hosting, content providers).
Technical and organizational conditions:- Certification of games and RNG/RTP in recognized laboratories; control of build versions.
- Logging of all game rounds, transactions and events; retention and audit access.
- Information security: traffic/data encryption, access management, regular penetration tests.
- Segregation of customer funds, transparent timing of conclusions, prohibition of unreasonable delays.
- Local presence and responsible persons, contracts with payment and content providers.
- Connection to state registers (including self-exclusion) and readiness for state online monitoring.
Age, identification and access
Age: 21 +. Verification of identity (KYC) is required before withdrawing funds and, as a rule, before a full game.
Self-exclusion: the player may voluntarily restrict his access; there is also an extrajudicial restriction on the application of relatives if there are grounds (according to the law).
Geo-jurisdictional restrictions: the operator must comply with the list of prohibited territories/countries and the rules for cross-border data processing.
Responsible Play (RG) and Consumer Protection
Limits: deposits, rates, time; "cool-off" and timeouts.
Information: visible warnings, contacts of help services and hotlines.
Dispute mechanisms: standardized support claim → escalation to regulator/ADR.
Personnel training: intervention scenarios with signs of problem play.
AML/KYC/KYT and payments
KYC/AML: identity verification, source of funds, sanctions and PEP screenings.
KYT (transaction analysis): monitoring of deposits/withdrawals, anti-fraud scenarios, reporting on suspicious transactions.
Payment providers: only licensed and meeting security requirements are allowed; clear SLAs on withdrawal timing are mandatory.
Cryptocurrency (if used in the model): chain analysis, limits, off-ramp policies, individual risk rules.
Advertising, marketing and bonuses
Strict 21 + targeting, prohibition on the involvement of minors and vulnerable groups.
Anti-mislead: you cannot promise "guaranteed winnings," "risk-free profits," etc.
Bonus terms should be transparent: vager, games contribution, timing, maximum bets and withdrawal limits.
Affiliates: the operator is responsible for partners and their creatives; the principle "what is impossible for the operator is impossible for the partner."
Game integrity and technical supervision
RNG/RTP control: certification before release; any changes in mathematics - only after recertification.
Live content: separate procedures for studios, cameras, streams and dealers; monitoring of delays and payment rules.
Jackpots: transparent accumulation and distribution logic, separate accounting of pools.
State. online monitoring: phased implementation of telemetry of key indicators (rates, payments, RTP anomalies, RG signals).
Ground sector: where and how you can
Casino: in hotels of high category and specially permitted places; strict requirements for planning, video surveillance, cash register accounting, personnel.
Gaming halls: location and density restrictions, certified devices, accounting and fiscal requirements.
Responsibility: inspections, inspections, sanctions up to suspension of activities.
Supervision and sanctions
Scheduled/unscheduled inspections, data requests, mystery plays.
Fines, temporary suspension, license revocation for system violations.
Blacklists: unscrupulous operators/affiliates/suppliers may be deprived of the right to work in the market.
For players: quick checklist
1. The site's footer has a license number and jurisdiction.
2. Limits, timeouts, self-exclusion are available; there is a help section.
3. Bonus T & Cs are clear (vager, timing, games contribution, max bet, output ceilings).
4. Providers and RTP/certification information are listed.
5. Payments are transparent: verification, withdrawal deadlines, 2FA, there are no "endless checks" without reason.
6. There is an understandable complaint channel and response time.
For Operators: Compliance Roadmap
Stage 1 - Preparation
KYC beneficiaries, ownership structure and origin of funds.
AML/KYC/KYT, RG, IS/Privacy, IRP and BCP/DR.
Contracts with certified content and payment providers; architecture and logging scheme.
Stage 2 - Licensing
File submission, key person interviews (Compliance, MLRO, InfoSec, RG-Lead).
Certification of platform and content, integration acts, connection to registries.
Stage 3 - Go-live and post-supervision
Regular RG/AML reports, certificate updates, pentests.
Control of advertising/affiliates, incident logging and corrective actions.
Recertification for any math/client logic changes.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
"Paper" RG/AML. The tools are declared, but do not work in UX → fines and suspensions.
Changes without recertification. Any editing of the game's mathematics is only through the laboratory.
Gray bonuses and creatives. Non-obvious restrictions, "easy money" → claims of the regulator and players.
Weak payment discipline. No segregation of funds, delayed withdrawal, opaque KYC → complaints and sanctions.
Incidents without IR procedures. Lack of investigations and logging - reputational and legal risks.
Ukrainian regulation is built on three pillars: player protection, game integrity and transparent finances. For the player, this is more security and clear rules. For business - a high, but predictable standard: who invests in compliance, technology and responsible advertising, gets long-term sustainability, access to top providers and the trust of payment partners.