The Ukrainian Gambling Commission (UGC) has once again called on Google to reconsider its policy of blocking all gambling advertisements from licensed operators in Ukraine.
This ongoing issue has raised concerns about its impact on legitimate businesses and the potential growth of illegal gambling operations in the country.
Google's current policy treats Ukraine as a jurisdiction where all forms of gambling, except for lotteries, are prohibited.
This blanket ban results in the advertisements of licensed Ukrainian gambling operators being blocked, while potentially allowing illegal operators to exploit loopholes by frequently changing domain names and jurisdictions.
Licensed operators, who have obtained proper national permits and invested in marketing campaigns (including sports sponsorships), find themselves unable to legally promote their services online—leading to customer loss and reduced profits for legitimate businesses, thereby affecting national tax revenue.
Ironically, the UGC points out that the licenses for lottery operators expired in 2014, yet they continue to operate and advertise unrestricted.
It is claimed that these operators mimic various forms of gambling without proper licenses or tax contributions.
In response to these issues, the UGC has appealed to Google's office in Ukraine to lift the existing restrictions. They are seeking permission for licensed operators to promote gambling activities (including casino games, betting, and poker) both in physical locations and online platforms.
Furthermore, the UGC is also requesting the ability to promote and place mobile gambling applications on Google services.
