Ukraine Continues to Block Illegal Gambling Websites

The second-largest European country, Ukraine, continues the fight against illegal online gambling. In an unprecedented act of war, the country was attacked by Russia more than two years ago. However, this did not stop Ukraine from tracking and combatting illegal online gambling.

In the latest chapter of the fight against the online gambling black market, the country issued blocking orders for nearly 400 illegal gambling websites. The decision came earlier this week after Order 451/2256 related to “Blocking of Domain Names” was issued by the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine.

Per 451/2256, providers of electronic communications services were ordered to effectively restrict access to a total of 371 websites related to illegal online gambling. The request means that the communication services providers must prohibit access to those websites on their own DNS servers.

The latest blocking order comes after an investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL). On Wednesday, KRAIL confirmed the most recent blocking request that is expected to help protect the citizens from unlicensed gambling operators.

Late last month, Ukraine issued a ban on gambling advertising. The restriction came amid fears about the detrimental impact of gambling on citizens and soldiers. The ban effectively prohibited providers of gambling services from promoting their products.

It followed another measure that sought to combat gambling harm by restricting Ukrainian military personnel from participating in gambling activities. The soldiers were effectively restricted from engaging in any form of gambling, regardless if online or via land-based casinos.

Another Chapter in the Fight against Illegal iGaming

Since last year, more than 2,500 illegal gambling websites have been blocked by Ukraine. With the latest addition of nearly 400, the total number now gets closer to 3,000.

Near the end of April, Ukraine confirmed its intentions to discontinue access to illegal gambling websites tied to Russia.

On the Old Continent, many countries consider enforcing blocking orders as a method to combat the black market. Still, while access to some websites is blocked, new outlets emerge which reaffirms the need for proactive monitoring of the illegal gambling sector and continuous efforts against its expansion.