Compliance Updates
Ukraine’s Evolving Gambling Landscape: Insights from the Panel of European Gaming Congress in Warsaw
The panel discussion last week, at the European Gaming Congress made me feel inspired to contemplate on critical facets of Ukraine’s burgeoning gambling industry, positioning the nation as an appealing prospect for Western European investors. Although unique challenges, including historical financial corruption and external pressures, exist, Ukraine’s European identity makes it an attractive hub for investment. As the country grapples with ongoing conflict, it must simultaneously address customary market concerns such as safeguarding against Russian interference and protecting the personal data of its citizens.
A striking parallel emerged between Ukraine’s gambling landscape and the realm of cryptocurrencies, where combating money laundering and terrorist financing poses significant challenges. The National Bank, equipped with the capacity to monitor financial flows, plays a pivotal role, in conjunction with law enforcement agencies. A comprehensive strategy to combat mis-selling and gray schemes is being executed by the National Bank of Ukraine, alongside the Commission and the Ministry of Finance, resulting in the revocation of licenses, particularly among operators with Russian ties. Comparable license revocations have occurred in several European nations that have issued cryptocurrency licenses.
However, amid the ongoing struggle against these challenges, errors have emerged, exemplified by the imposition of sanctions on prominent Ukrainian industry leaders like Parimatch and Pokermatch. These sanctions have not only significantly impacted the legal gambling sector but have also cast a shadow of caution over Western investors. Notably, the President’s directive to the Cabinet of Ministers, prompted by a citizen petition with 25,000 signatures, seeks to investigate the circumstances leading to the inclusion of Parimatch in the sanctions list of the National Security and Defense Council.
In the wake of the Parimatch case, it’s worth noting that the Cosmolot brand has also recently faced heightened scrutiny, with law enforcement agencies conducting searches and investigations, further emphasizing the need for a robust law enforcement process. Ukrainian Gambling Council, representing 80% of licensed gambling operators, committed to serving its members by actively working on player protection, advertising regulation, and acting as a valuable business ombudsman for the industry, contributing to a more secure and transparent gambling landscape in Ukraine.
As technical impediments are surmounted, the regulatory body demonstrates its efficiency. Critical issues, such as streamlining market access through license issuance, promoting responsible gambling, stricter advertisement rules, and reinvigorating investments, are coming to the fore.
Once the security concerns are addressed, Ukraine is poised to unleash pent-up demand in its gambling sector. This situation will spur investors to contemplate their entry into the market, whether through direct investment, partnerships, or mergers and acquisitions, underlining the evolving landscape of opportunities in Ukraine’s vibrant gambling industry.
Article by Viktoriya Zakrevskaya, Founding Member and Deputy Chairwoman for Communications, Ukrainian Gambling Council
Viktoriya was a speaker at the European Gaming Congress by Hipther, that took place on 31 October at the InterContinental Warsaw. She discussed the emerging Ukrainian iGaming market at the Panel “The Greek Odyssey, La Dolce Vita, La Fiesta Española, The Ukrainian Spirit, and The Portuguese Fado”.
MGM Yonkers Inc., a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International, submitted its commercial casino license application to the New York Gaming Commission and the Gaming Facility Location Board, with a $2.3 billion proposal to transform its historic Empire City Casino site into a commercial casino and entertainment destination. The development plans have been thoughtfully curated to achieve the maximum benefits for the State of New York, City of Yonkers and surrounding counties, while also meeting the needs of the local community.
MGM Yonkers’ plans include the full renovation and expansion of Empire City Casino’s existing gaming areas, an expansive high-limit lounge and the addition of a state-of-the-art BetMGM Sportsbook offering retail sports betting. The plan also envisions the addition of a 5000 person maximum capacity entertainment venue and accompanying meeting space which will welcome a variety of A-list and local performances with the design flexibility to accommodate special events, local graduations, and other community needs.
Additionally, three new full-service restaurants and the renovation of existing food and beverage venues will provide high-concept dining options for guests. A parking garage with solar energy arrays and electric vehicle parking spaces are among features that demonstrate MGM Resorts’ strong commitment to sustainability. If MGM Yonkers is awarded a commercial casino license, it anticipates completing all project elements by mid-2029.
“Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway have anchored the entertainment and tourism culture in downstate New York for more than a century. Achieving a full casino license will ensure this site will continue to be a cultural and economic force for generations to come,” said Bill Hornbuckle, President and CEO of MGM Resorts International.
The post MGM Yonkers Submits Commercial Casino License Application in New York appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) has issued two warnings to Optdeck for untargeted advertising and offering autoplay. Optdeck offers games of chance in the Netherlands under the brand name Unibet.
Unibet is a sponsor of the cycling team Unibet Tietema Rockets. Part of this sponsorship is a coach with the Unibet logo on it. This coach was not only used in the Netherlands to transport the sports team but also for other purposes. This violates the ban on non-targeted advertising.
The KSA also received a signal about a form of autoplay in a game offered by Unibet. The BonusBuy function, where players can automatically continue playing with purchased bonuses without having to start a new game, is prohibited because it encourages excessive gaming.
Optdeck said it was not aware that the bus was also used for other transport and that monitoring various sponsorship agreements can be complex. The cycling team has been asked to stop using the bus immediately, and the bus and team vehicles will be provided with modified stickers without the Unibet logo. The KSA has indicated that it is always the provider’s responsibility to guarantee that sponsorship agreements comply with the laws and regulations. In addition, the coach in this form will no longer be allowed on the road as of 1 July 2025, because that is also when the ban on sports sponsorship comes into effect.
The BonusBuy violation was also a third-party error. After the game went live, this function was incorrectly activated by the supplier. The function was only available for two hours, and players who suffered losses during those two hours were compensated. In addition, measures have been taken to prevent such errors from being made in the future.
The KSA emphasised that the provider itself is responsible for correctly following laws and regulations, even if there is a collaboration with third parties. Because both violations were stopped immediately as soon as they were noticed, the regulator has left its intervention at a warning for now. If Optdeck makes another mistake in the future, the KSA said it may impose stricter sanctions.
The post KSA Issues Warnings to Optdeck Over advertising and Autoplay Violations appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The GGL has published its 2024 Activity Report, which reviews key developments and achievements of the past year. The report explains the approach to combating illegal gambling as well as the activities related to the supervision of legal gambling providers. A key component of the report is also an analysis of market developments in the German gambling market.
Last year, the GGL processed 230 permit and amendment applications and supervised 141 providers. The authority faced a variety of regulatory, legal and supervisory challenges. Major events such as the UEFA European Football Championship and the Olympic Games, in particular, resulted in increased advertising and betting activities, necessitating increased monitoring.
A milestone in 2024 was the court approval of the “Markers of Harm” developed by the GGL. These indicators were developed for monitoring increased deposit limits and were first used in 2024. They serve as an early detection of problematic gambling behaviour. The Mainz Administrative Court confirmed their legal admissibility. The GGL sees this as an important step towards uniform player protection standards.
In 2024, the GGL successfully took action against illegal offerings and was able to make the offerings of numerous illegal providers inaccessible to players in Germany. A total of 231 prohibition proceedings were initiated and over 1700 websites were reviewed. Approximately 450 illegal gambling sites were no longer accessible from Germany due to prohibition orders, and another 657 were no longer accessible due to geo-blocking based on the Digital Services Act (DSA). Payment blocking made deposits and withdrawals for illegal offerings more difficult.
Another success was the adjustment of Google’s advertising guidelines at the initiative of the GGL. Since September 2024, only authorized providers in Germany have been allowed to advertise via Google Ads. This significantly reduced the visibility of illegal offers.
“Our measures are having an impact. Nevertheless, combating illegal offerings remains challenging and requires perseverance and close cooperation with national and international partners,” said Ronald Benter, CEO of GGL.
According to GGL estimates, illegal online gambling accounts for approximately 25% of the total online gambling market.
The legal German gambling market (online and land-based) generated gross gaming revenue (equivalent to players’ losses) of approximately €14.4 billion in 2024—an increase of approximately 5% over the previous year. Tax and levy revenues from gambling amounted to approximately €7 billion.
The providers regulated by the GGL generated approximately four billion euros, which corresponds to a 28% share of the total permitted market.
In the illegal market, the GGL registered 858 German-language gambling websites operated by 212 operators without a license. The GGL estimates that the illegal German-language websites it recorded represent a market volume of between €500 and €600 million. This corresponds to approximately 3% to 4% of the entire legal market (terrestrial and online) and approximately 25% of the legal market for dangerous online gambling, such as virtual slot machines or sports betting.
In 2025, the GGL expects further groundbreaking court rulings on its measures, thus providing even greater legal certainty in its approach. The authority will continue to support the evaluation of the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling and, among other things, further expand advertising monitoring. The further development of the use of safe servers is intended to further improve oversight of the legal gambling market and enable more precise monitoring. A particular focus is on intensive cooperation with national and international authorities to further effectively curb the illegal gambling market. This will target not only the providers themselves, but also technical service providers, advertising partners, and other supporting actors.
Ronald Benter said: “Our stated goal is to make the business model of illegal providers unattractive through a comprehensive package of measures. Combating illegal offerings remains a long-term process that requires strategic action, decisive action, and close interagency cooperation.”
The post GGL Publishes its 2024 Activity Report appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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