Certification of gambling equipment: the law requires it, but is it possible to fulfill it? Let's find out!
Gambling in Ukraine is legal, but there are conditions. Yes, the Law of Ukraine “On State Regulation of Activities Concerning the Organization and Conduct of Gambling” requires that organizers of gambling (casinos, bookmakers, etc.) use exclusively certified gambling equipment.
This requirement is logical, since certification should guarantee the transparency and fairness of the game process, the reliability of gambling equipment and the protection of players from possible manipulation of the game results.
On paper, everything is clear, but in practice, there is a dead end. The law establishes that certification should be carried out by special institutions determined by the state authorized body. Currently, these functions are performed by the State Agency of Ukraine PlayCity. At the end of August 2025, PlayCity approved a list of such certification institutions. This list contains as many as 3 such institutions, namely: VC UKRCHASTOTNAGLYAD, SE "UKRMETRTESTSTANDART" and the Ukrainian Research Institute of Special Equipment and Forensic Examinations of the Security Service of Ukraine.
But when the organizers of gambling games turned to these institutions for certification, it turned out that they... do not conduct certification of gambling equipment. The reason is banal - according to them, they do not have the appropriate specialists and methods.
What does this mean for business?
• It is impossible to comply with the requirements of the law.
• Without certification of gambling equipment, organizers risk losing their license or receiving a fine.
• This blocks the development of the legal market and creates the prerequisites for "gray" schemes.
Another legal absurdity! We have a situation where the state requires certification, but itself has not created a mechanism for it to actually be implemented. Market participants who now have the need to carry out appropriate certification of their gambling equipment actually find themselves in a situation of violation of the requirements of the law, even if they intend to comply with them.
What is a possible way out of this situation?
To get out of the legal "vicious circle", the following solutions are possible:
firstly, the state must urgently finalize the certification mechanism, namely: the authorized body must ensure that the designated certification entities actually have the opportunity to carry out the inspection of gambling equipment or involve other institutions in the certification.
secondly: involvement of international experts. Until the formation of its own expert base, it is possible to temporarily involve accredited international institutions that have experience in the field of certification of gambling equipment.
Therefore, the existing legal conflict between the requirements of the Law and the real impossibility of fulfilling them undermines trust in state regulation and creates significant risks for legal gambling operators. Solving the problem requires prompt intervention by the authorized body and amendments to regulatory acts.
Without an effective and transparent certification mechanism, the development of the legal gambling market in Ukraine remains in question.
Tetiana Khoruzha
Senior Lawyer
Daria Gavrylytsia
Senior Partner
