Ukraine’s state gambling regulator PlayCity has fined blogger Waldemar De Salo UAH 5.2 million, or almost €101,000, for promoting illegal gambling through social media. The penalty concerns content published on Telegram, YouTube, Kick and TikTok.
The regulator said its investigation identified several breaches of Ukraine’s gambling advertising requirements. The promotional material appeared on social networks that do not qualify as media for audiences aged 21 and over. It also used product placement, while omitting required information about gambling addiction risks and the gambling operator’s licence.
PlayCity said the violations were identified during its monitoring of gambling-related advertising. The regulator also confirmed that cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine’s office in the Khmelnytskyi region helped establish the blogger’s identity.
“Several violations of the law were documented,” the agency stated.
The fine adds to enforcement efforts aimed at illegal gambling activity and advertising in Ukraine. PlayCity has said it will continue identifying unlawful gambling promotions and pursuing those responsible for violations.
Advertising Rules Under Closer Scrutiny
The case highlights the regulator’s focus on how gambling promotions reach audiences online. According to PlayCity, the advertising appeared through accounts on several major social platforms and included material presented as part of ordinary content.
The regulator specifically cited the absence of mandatory warnings concerning gambling addiction. It also said the advertisements failed to provide information about the gambling organiser’s licence. The use of platforms without media status for a 21+ audience formed another part of the violations identified.
The action comes as Ukraine works on a broader policy framework covering gambling and its potential harms. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the State Policy Strategy for the Organisation and Conduct of Gambling through 2035. The strategy includes nationwide campaigns addressing gambling risks and plans for education about gambling addiction in schools.
It also calls for greater attention to early signs of gambling addiction and factors that can contribute to its development. Separately, the government has announced a tender for a system intended to prevent military personnel from gambling.
Government Measures Follow Gambling Research
Recent research cited in the regulatory discussion indicates that gambling participation remains relatively limited among the wider population. The first Ukraine National Gambling Impact Survey found that 84 per cent of respondents did not consider themselves gamblers, while one in three said they did not know anyone who gambles.
Five per cent of respondents said they had gambled during the previous year, while 2 per cent had done so within the previous month.
Another survey found that most gamblers in Ukraine prefer licensed online casinos. The findings provide context for the regulator’s continued attention to illegal operators and advertising as authorities seek to strengthen controls around the legal gambling market.
PlayCity’s latest enforcement action therefore places particular attention on influencers and social media promotion, where gambling material can appear within broader online content. The UAH 5.2 million sanction represents a significant financial penalty against an individual promoter and signals continued enforcement of advertising requirements.
Source:
“PlayCity fined blogger ₴5.2 million for illegal gambling advertising”, telegram.me “PlayCity”, September 2026
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