Illegal igaming in Ukraine ranges from UAH 37.7 bln to UAH 66.5 bln – study
The illegal segment of the gambling market occupies from 39% to 53% of the market, according to the results of the first studies conducted in August-September 2025 by Kantar, Gradus and Factum at the request of the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Operators, its press release said on Thursday.
"The international company Kantar estimated the share of the illegal gambling market in Ukraine at 52.1%, Gradus at 39%, Factum at 53%. Unfortunately, the results turned out to be much worse than expected. If the legal market is approximately UAH 59.6 billion per year, then, accordingly, the illegal market is from UAH 37.72 billion to UAH 66.53 billion," Association’s President Oleksandr Kohut presented the main results of the research during a meeting of the Temporarily Inquiry Commission at the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy.
According to him, 90% of all illegal casinos are of Russian origin.
The results of the research of the three companies coincide with the estimates of the international company H2 Gambling Capital, which determined the current level of the illegal gambling market in Ukraine at 45.6% and according to its forecasts, this figure will increase to 58% by 2030, the release said.
Kohut clarified that the Association received independent estimates of the volume of the "black" market from three research agencies at the request of the Ministry of Digital Transformation/Playcity. The representative study was conducted over two weeks using different methodologies proposed by the three agencies. It was attended by from 800 to 2,500 respondents.
It is noted that the survey revealed the main factors why Ukrainians choose illegal online casinos, such as: speed of payouts; the ability to avoid paying taxes; ease of registration and anonymity; the ability to play using cryptocurrencies; the absence of age and behavioral restrictions (access for gambling addicts and teenagers under 21) and the absence of limits on bets.