Ukraine's PlayCity Partners Kick to Combat Illegal Gambling Advertising

Ukraine's gambling regulator, PlayCity, has partnered with social media platform Kick to address the proliferation of illegal gambling advertising in the country. This strategic collaboration expands PlayCity's efforts to eradicate black market activities across various social media platforms.

Key Takeaways

• PlayCity has added Kick to its list of social media partners.
• The partnership aims to eradicate illegal gambling advertising.
• Two channels on Kick advertising illegal gambling have already been blocked.

Regulatory Framework and Enforcement

Ukraine's PlayCity has expanded its remit by adding Kick to its list of social media platforms for combating illegal gambling advertising. This initiative builds on existing collaborations with platforms including TikTok, Meta, YouTube, Google, Twitch, and Viber. PlayCity is now reporting directly to Kick to provide information on illegal practices, enabling the restriction of access to non-compliant pages, channels, or materials.

Market Implications and Impact

The partnership with Kick represents a significant step in the regulator's fight against unlicensed operators and their marketing practices. Kick's platform, operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd and backed by Easygo Entertainment Pty Ltd (the group behind Stake), has previously been identified for hosting illegal gambling content. This collaboration aims to curb the expansion of the black market, affecting the broader regulated market landscape in Ukraine.

PlayCity's Enforcement Actions

PlayCity has reported substantial progress in its efforts to eliminate illegal gambling advertising from social media platforms. The regulator has banned 20 TikTok accounts, 11 Instagram accounts, four Twitch channels, and two Kick channels that were advertising illegal gambling. Overall, PlayCity has restricted access to 785 social media accounts promoting gambling illegally and has issued fines totaling "almost ₴5.2m" (£80,000) to perpetrators.

Sources: Ukraine’s PlayCity adds Kick to list of partners as it looks to eradicate black market adverts