Ukraine’s PlayCity names three potential lottery operators
On 1 December 2025, Ukraine’s regulator PlayCity announced an open tender for licences to operate state lotteries. Applications closed on 29 December, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation has named three winners – MSL, Ukrainian National Lottery, and Patriot. Under the new rules, these companies can apply to become official lottery operators.
Who won the lottery tender
In December, when PlayCity announced a tender for licences, all Ukrainian companies were invited to participate. They were required to have at least three years of experience in the lottery market, a website in the .ua domain zone, and a share capital of at least 30 million hryvnias (€600,000). Companies with links to Russia were barred from the competition.
On 28 January, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine published an update stating that, following the open tender, MSL, Ukrainian National Lottery and Patriot had obtained the right to apply for lottery operator status. The shortlist and the outcome were widely anticipated, as all three businesses have been active in the market for years. The purpose of the reform is not to attract new brands, but to bring existing players under a tighter control framework. In practice, the state is positioning the lottery segment as regulated, obliging operators to pay taxes and licence fees, and presenting transparent draw rules as a public guarantee.
What happens next for the winners
At this stage, none of the companies can operate under the new model. To obtain formal operator status, each will need to submit an application, wait for approval, and pay the licence fee.
After the results were announced, companies have 10 days to file their applications, followed by a further 10 days to make the annual licence fee payment of UAH 24.2m (around €447,000).
State requirements for operators
Official operators will be expected to meet two core requirements:
- Maintain electronic reporting that allows sales volumes and prize payouts to be tracked in real time.
- Ensure a unique QR code for every ticket and every terminal so that the legality of a point of sale and its equipment can be verified.
In effect, this is a shift to a model in which the state reconciles sales, payouts and distribution infrastructure within a single digital system. The Ministry of Digital Transformation has also said the next phase of the reform will include legislative updates to formalise the new operating model, dismantle monopoly conditions, and attract international companies.
Ukrainian market context
According to the official position of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the lottery market remained in a grey zone for more than a decade: operators did not pay licence contributions, and tax payments were effectively not controlled.
A SiGMA report on the first five years of Ukraine’s regulated online entertainment market noted that lottery-operator licences had last expired in 2014, and auditors estimated budget losses of more than UAH 220m. This was one of the drivers behind the government’s decision in November 2025 to relaunch the market and bring it back into the legal framework.
What changes for the industry
Infrastructure. Electronic reporting and QR verification require a transparent chain from product issuance to the point of sale. Terminals, agents, partner networks and service contractors become part of a controlled perimeter.
Economics. The annual payment of UAH 24.2m turns market access into an ongoing financial obligation. This affects operators’ scaling plans and the terms they set with partners.
Reputation. With real-time state monitoring of sales and payouts, any error is more likely to become a public issue faster – both for operators and for the surrounding ecosystem.
This article was first published in Russian on 2 February 2026.
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