Ukraine regulator received 667 licence applications in 2022

In total, 603 gaming licences were issued by KRAIL. The vast majority of these were slots licences, of which 593 were issued in total. Three licences were issued to allow online gaming to be conducted, and four licences were issued to allow operators to carry out bookmaking activities.

In addition, three licences were approved to allow operators to offer gambling services.

The regulator also said that around 50% of the successful licences were issued during martial law, which was enacted because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A total of 63 applications were not considered. Again, slot machine licences made up most of the total, with 60 unsuccessful applications.

Two licences which would have permitted gambling to take place in slot machine halls were also not considered, along with one application which would have allowed an operator to offer gambling services.

KRAIL said this was due to mistakes that were made in applications.

One application to offer gambling services was rejected.

As well as this, 33 applications were made for permits that would ratify potential gambling premises. Of these, 17 were issued, while 16 were not, again on the basis of mistakes in the applications.

Last month, KRAIL cancelled licences that had been issued to three “Russian-controlled” operators.