Ukraine is replacing its gambling regulator on April 1, as the current body has been the subject of several corruption probes. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

The Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL) will soon be no more after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed a new body with enhanced powers is taking over this responsibility from April 1, 2025.

A blanket ban on gambling advertising will also go into place. The country’s parliament passed the measure in April 2024, four years after Ukraine launched its legal gambling industry.

Corruption scandals rocked KRAIL several times during its short lifetime. One of its members allegedly took a $90,000 bribe in exchange for issuing licenses to certain operators.

KRAIL head Ivan Rudyi was detained by the authorities

In December, KRAIL head Ivan Rudyi was detained by the authorities for allegedly not removing a permit from an operator owned by Russian nationals despite the regulator’s conclusion that the operation was a threat to national security.

A big concern was that the Russian military might access the personal information of Ukrainian soldiers who used the online casino.