Ukraine gambling regulator blocks more sites
KRAIL has blocked five more sites.
Ukraine.- The Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL) has blocked five more unlicensed gambling websites after blocking 11 sites last month. The regulator named the sites affected as 1xslot.com, Bet2casino.fun, Betmatch2win.com, Betwinner6.com and Kasinos-vip.net.
It said the sites had been providing access to gambling in Ukraine without the corresponding licence in violation of legislation. KRAIL says it has blocked almost 3,000 unlicensed gambling sites so far this year as it clamps down in an effort to tackle problem gambling in the country. As in previous orders, it has given operators three days to comply with the order to cease operations.
Meanwhile, the regulator has advised players to ensure they only gamble with regulated operators among a spate of reports of online scams in which players are told their gambling deposits were fraudulent and made to pay to retrieve their money.
Gambling self-exclusion on the rise
KRAIL says that registrations to Ukraine’s national gambling self-exclusion register have increased by 7 per cent in the last month. Some 557 new players registered, taking the total number of new registrations this year to 5,269. The total number of self-excluded players stands at 8,431.
KRAIL continues to regulate the Ukrainian gambling sector for now. However, the country’s parliament voted in April to disband the regulator. There had been criticism of the regulator’s collegial structure, which requires at least five of its six members to be present for meetings to be valid. Amid disruption caused by military service following the Russian invasion, this has often led to meetings being cancelled and long delays for licence applications.
There will be a second reading of the bill before it can be signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The liquidation of KRAIL would put gambling regulation under the digital transformation ministry until a new regulator is established. Ukraine is also advancing with a ban on gambling for the military. There will also be a ban on using military iconography in gambling advertising.
