Ukraine's Gambling Regulator Details New Real-Time Monitoring System

Novikov said traditional supervision models, built around licensing checks, periodic reporting and retrospective inspections, were designed for a slower and less digital market. 

With thousands of gambling transactions now taking place within seconds, he argued that periodic reporting alone can no longer give regulators a complete or timely picture of activity.

SOMS is designed to close that gap by allowing the state to continuously receive and process data from licensed operators in close to real time, according to Novikov's comment piece for SBC News. 

The system records information on bets, returns, winnings and other operational data as it happens, rather than relying on operators to submit figures after the fact.

"Our goal is to build a transparent and lawful market in which regulatory decisions are based on verified data," Novikov said. "Digitalisation is not an additional component of the reform. It is its foundation."

The rollout follows PlayCity's broader push since 2025 to modernise Ukraine's approach to gambling oversight, an area that has come under scrutiny following past corruption concerns in the market. 

By building continuous data visibility into the regulatory model itself, PlayCity is positioning Ukraine among a smaller group of European regulators moving away from static, backwards-looking supervision.

The move mirrors a wider international trend of regulators investing in real-time data tools to keep pace with online betting and gaming markets, rather than relying solely on operator self-reporting.