Ukraine blocks 59 gambling sites

More sites added to the country’s blacklist following a petition from the Ukrainian Security Service.

Ukraine.- A court has ordered internet service providers (ISPs) in the Eastern European country to block access to 59 gambling sites following a petition by the Ukrainian Security Service SBU.

The SBU has not made public the names of the sites to be blocked but said that the list included 20 of the most popular gambling sites used by Ukrainian players.

Online gambling remains illegal in Ukraine although Finance Minister Danylo Hetmantsev said last week that a parliamentary committee would fast-track a bill that was intended to create a legal, regulated market by the end of this year.

Bill 2285D on the proposed gambling law was approved at its first reading in January with 260 out of 450 votes in favour, but then underwent a large number of amendments and has since been further delayed because of a backlog of legislative readings caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The SBU has said that while online gambling remains illegal it will “take all necessary measures to bring to justice those who violate law.”

More than 30 sites including PartyPoker, Pinnacle and CloudBet have already been blocked following a court order in February.