The Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) systematically takes measures to identify illegal businesses and limit their online activities. This work results in the blocking of domain names, which makes it impossible to access the relevant online platforms in the territory of Ukraine. However, some players who still don't understand why playing on illegal platforms is dangerous, use a VPN to access such web-sites. However, they don't think that their actions have a whole host of negative consequences that go far beyond the negative balance in their bank accounts.
The fight against illegal businesses, operating both online and offline, is a process that never ends. As soon as some gambling establishments or online platforms stop working, others appear almost immediately in their place. Unfortunately, they find their audience of players very quickly.
Why does this happen? Lack of identification is the main "bait" used by illegal businesses to attracts most of their customers. Unlike legal organizers, illegal ones do not require documents that confirm player's identity. All they are interested in is the access to your bank card. They do not care whether you, for example, have problems with gambling addiction. In this case, there is no question of personal data protection - it is the last thing illegal businesses think about.
The lack of control and the desire of illegal businesses to maximize profits lead to significant risks both for individual players and for the state as a whole.
1. Using the services of illegal online casinos and bookmakers, players transfer personal data to third parties. Since the platforms are illegal, the data is not protected in any way, and therefore can be used for absolutely any criminal purpose.
2. If you play on an illegal platform, you can easily become a victim of additional "fees", which will significantly reduce your winnings, or you will not receive any money at all. In the worst case, fraudsters will gain access to your account and money and can use your funds as they see fit.
3. Illegal platforms do everything to make you play as long as possible and lose as much as possible. This increases the risk of game addiction. Legal gambling organizers, on the contrary, try to limit dangerous gaming behaviour of players.
4. The lion's share of illegal online casinos and bookmakers usually have Russian origins, Russian investments or ultimate beneficiaries in russia. Therefore, the money lost on such a platform may well go to finance the russian federation's war against Ukraine.
That is why it is necessary to fight against illegal businesses systematically and rigorously. Especially in the conditions of war, when access to personal data of citizens becomes not the matter of state security in addition to personal security. Within the scope of our powers, we at the Ukrainian Gambling Council also try to join this fight and constantly send appeals to law enforcement agencies with a request to block illegal websites. Defeating illegal businesses is one of the main conditions for the future normal development of the gambling industry in Ukraine.