Ukraine begins work on national monitoring system for gaming
The new system will allow the new Ukrainian gambling regulator to track bets in real time and provide public access to market statistics.
Ukraine.- The Ministry of Digital Transformation has announced the start of an initiative to create national digital system for monitoring licensed gambling. It said it intends to engage with technology firms to gather input that will inform the design of a user-friendly and efficient monitoring platform.
The proposed online system is expected to drive improvements in the oversight of the new Ukrainian gambling regulator PlayCity by allowing real-time tracking of individual bets, visibility into accepted and refunded wagers, along with payout data, public access to market volume statistics and clear insights into tax obligations
An online public consultation is scheduled for July 21. IT companies have been invited to participate and must register by July 18.
The launch of the government initiative comes after licensed operators began collaborating with regulatory bodies to tackle unlicensed gambling in Ukraine. The new Association of Ukrainian Gambling Operators (AUGO) contributed to recent orders to block 133 online casino sites, collaborating with the Security Service, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (Derzhspetszviazok), the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radiofrequency Spectrum and the Provision of Postal Services (NCEC).
AUGO is a self-regulating entity whose members include some of Ukraine’s largest licensed gambling providers. It says its mission centres on fostering transparency, creating clear operational standards, and eliminating illegal market participants.
Its formation was announced three months ago after multiple Ukrainian gambling operators decided to join forces to create a collaborative industry alliance to tackle unregulated online gambling in the country. The group is financing the development of software to monitor the sector and identify unlicensed gambling platforms. It was reported that various gaming operators with internal IT capabilities and a combined tech staff of 900 were taking part.
This was the first coordinated effort between the Security Service, Derzhspetszviazok and NCEC in collaboration with AUGO. The association contributed technical, analytical, and informational resources in support of the effort to dismantle the illegal gambling operations online.
Operating under the Ministry of Digital Transformation, PlayCity became operational in April, succeeding the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL). Its mandate includes instrutions to digitise the licensing process and tighten regulatory supervision.
According to estimates published by AUGO in May, between 30 and 50 per cent of Ukraine’s gambling market operates in the shadows. The ministry has projected annual fiscal losses as high as UAH 10bn (€204m).
