Ukrainian authorities have blocked more than 2,500 websites offering unlicensed gambling services, as prosecutors and law enforcement step up efforts to disrupt illegal online casinos and the criminal networks behind them. The action forms part of a broader crackdown that spans criminal investigations, asset seizures and proposed structural changes to gambling regulation.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said the website blocks were carried out in coordination with law enforcement agencies and reflect enforcement activity across both 2023 and the first months of 2024. As of April, prosecutors confirmed that more than 450 suspected illegal gambling offences were under active investigation. Dozens of cases have already reached court, including indictments linked to organised criminal groups.
Criminal cases and seizures highlight scale of the market
According to figures released by the Prosecutor General’s Office, illegal gambling remains a large and persistent problem despite Ukraine’s regulated market. In 2023 alone, authorities registered 169 criminal offences connected to illegal gambling activity. Prosecutors sent indictments involving 97 individuals to court and carried out around 500 searches across the country.
Those operations led to the seizure of more than 7,000 pieces of equipment, including computers and gambling terminals, and inspections at roughly 700 addresses suspected of hosting illegal activity. Ten land-based casinos had their operations suspended during the year, while prosecutors filed charges against dozens of individuals tied to organised groups.
In early 2024, authorities registered a further 76 criminal offences, indicating that enforcement activity has continued at pace rather than tapering off. Officials have framed the latest wave of website blocking as a necessary response to the way illegal gambling has shifted online, often relying on offshore infrastructure and mirror domains to evade national controls.
Focus on financial flows and organised networks
Beyond domain blocking, prosecutors have emphasised their focus on the financial side of illegal gambling. Ongoing cases include investigations into companies accused of operating illegal online casinos and channelling proceeds through complex payment structures.
One high-profile case referenced by prosecutors involves alleged laundering of UAH 4.8 billion linked to illegal online gambling activity. While details remain limited, the scale of the figure highlights why authorities are increasingly targeting payment flows, corporate structures and facilitators, not just front-end websites.
Prosecutors have also confirmed a pre-trial investigation into an unnamed sanctioned legal entity accused of conducting illegal gambling operations using the resources of an international operator’s office. At the time of the alleged activity, the entity was reportedly under the control of citizens of the Russian Federation, adding a national security dimension to the case.
Political pressure and regulatory change in parallel
The enforcement update comes at a sensitive moment for Ukraine’s gambling framework. Days before prosecutors released the latest figures, the Verkhovna Rada voted to support draft legislation that would dissolve the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, known as KRAIL.
The bill, backed by 272 lawmakers at first reading, proposes removing the regulator and restructuring oversight of the gambling sector. It was originally submitted in 2023 and still requires a second reading and approval by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before becoming law.
Alongside institutional changes, the draft legislation includes proposals to tighten restrictions on gambling activity more broadly. These include new safeguarding tools for vulnerable players and a ban on gambling advertising, reflecting growing political concern about the social impact of gambling during wartime.
The push for tougher controls has also been influenced by public debate around gambling among military personnel and cyber security risks. Earlier in 2024, President Zelenskyy approved restrictions on online gambling for members of the armed forces while martial law remains in place.
Why blocking sites is only part of the strategy
Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that blocking websites is not a complete solution on its own. Illegal operators frequently rotate domains, relaunch under new brand names or shift payment providers to stay accessible. That reality has driven prosecutors to combine technical blocking with criminal investigations, asset seizures and financial crime cases.
By pairing domain blocks with indictments, searches and money-laundering probes, authorities aim to raise the cost of operating illegal gambling businesses rather than simply disrupting them temporarily. The emphasis on organised groups and large financial flows suggests enforcement is increasingly aimed at dismantling networks, not just individual sites.
For now, the blocking of more than 2,500 websites stands as one of the clearest signals yet that Ukraine intends to take a harder line on illegal gambling, even as it reshapes the regulatory architecture of the legal market. How effective that approach proves will depend on whether enforcement keeps pace with the speed and adaptability of offshore operators.
References:
- The Kyiv Independent: over 2,500 gambling websites blocked – https://kyivindependent.com/prosecutors-office-over-2-500-gambling-websites-blocked-as-of-april/
- Tribuna: Ukraine’s PlayCity agency blocks 314 illegal gambling platforms – https://tribuna.com/en/casino/news/2025-11-06-playcity-blocks-314-illegal-gambling-platforms-and-fines-violators-in-ukraine/
- Interfax-Ukraine: State Special Communications shut down 133 illegal online casinos – https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1086145.html
