Ukraine Approves AI Strategy To Fight Illegal Gambling Ads
Ukraine's government has approved a national strategy to fight gambling addiction that includes using artificial intelligence to hunt down illegal gambling advertising and analyse risky player behaviour.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the State Policy Strategy in the Field of Gambling through 2035 under order No. 855-r on August 26, 2026, alongside an operational plan covering 2027-2029.
Software Built To Hunt Illegal Operators
The Strategy calls for specialised software tools that automatically scan the internet for websites, mobile apps and other resources offering gambling without a Ukrainian license.
Separate technological tools are planned to detect the methods that illegal operators use to evade blocking systems, with closer cooperation among internet providers, digital platforms and government agencies to speed up takedowns.
The government is targeting at least five new digital monitoring and enforcement technologies by 2035, including tools to trace virtual-asset transactions used to pay for illegal gambling.
The Scale Of The Illegal Market
The government's own case for the strategy leans on data from the Prosecutor General's Office showing that 1,043 criminal proceedings were registered under Article 203-2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code between 2021 and 2025, ranging from 267 cases in 2021 to a low of 164 in 2023, before climbing back to 263 in 2025.
Only a fraction reached court: as few as four cases in 2022 and 15 in 2025.
Separately, national lottery operator PlayCity identified 2,844 unlicensed gambling websites between June and December 2025 alone, against just 25 licensed organisers, a ratio the government cites as evidence that the shadow market dwarfs the regulated one.
A Dedicated Track For Military Personnel
The Strategy singles out military personnel and the security and defence sector as a distinct risk group.
It calls for screening and risk-assessment tools for gambling addiction during recruitment and throughout service, plus training materials for commanders, psychologists and support staff on recognising addiction and providing first psychological aid.
The document links gambling debt directly to national security, warning that financial and psychological instability from addiction can be exploited to pressure or manipulate service members and officials.
While You Are Here, Why Not Check Out Our: Casino Games Hub & Free Slots?
Advertising Sponsorship Ban And Stronger Penalties
Beyond the AI monitoring push, the Strategy proposes tightening criminal and procedural law to make prosecutions under Article 203-2 more effective, and to hold the owners of premises used for illegal gambling liable as accomplices.
It also plans to regulate gambling operators' sponsorship of sports competitions, teams and athletes and to ban such sponsorship outright for any operator without a valid Ukrainian license.
Schoolchildren are also targeted for education on gambling risks as part of the broader prevention push.
Readers researching a licensed online casino should check an operator's regulatory status before signing up, regardless of where they play.
