PlayCity Adds Kick to Illegal Gambling Ad Crackdown
PlayCity has opened direct cooperation with Kick to speed up action against illegal gambling advertising on streaming channels. The Ukrainian state agency now sends Kick’s headquarters lists of channels that breach gambling advertising rules.
The first two Kick channels were blocked last week, according to PlayCity. The move adds Kick to a wider enforcement process that already includes direct contact with TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Twitch, Viber and Google.
In June, the agency received 19 complaints about illegal gambling advertising, including 12 submitted through the online form on its website. Based on user reports, 37 accounts across TikTok, Instagram, Twitch and Kick were referred for access restrictions.
Those accounts had a combined audience of more than 895,000 followers: 20 TikTok accounts with 473,000 followers, 11 Instagram accounts with 314,000 followers, four Twitch channels with 107,000 followers and two Kick channels with 1,200 followers.
Blocking content is the first step in the process. After access is restricted, PlayCity works to identify the responsible parties. Once a violator is confirmed, the agency can impose a financial sanction of almost UAH 5.2m, approximately $116,000 at the current NBU rate.
Where the responsible person cannot be identified through open data and public registers, the case goes to law enforcement. A user complaint does not always lead to an immediate fine, but each submission helps record the violation, stop distribution and begin enforcement proceedings.
Since launching its complaint form, PlayCity has collected 425 reports in total. Across its full period of activity, the agency has restricted access to 785 social media and streaming profiles for illegal gambling promotion.
The complaint tool covers more than social and streaming channels. Users can also report suspected breaches on television, radio, outdoor advertising, public spaces, media sites and other channels.
💡TGJ Take
PlayCity has converted user complaints into a fast takedown pipeline, and that matters for affiliates and operators still buying grey traffic in Ukraine. The key number is not the two Kick channels but the 785 profiles already restricted, which shows an active enforcement model rather than a one-off sweep. For licensed operators, this raises the cost of relying on informal promoters. For affiliates, Ukraine is becoming a market where ad compliance needs proof, not just partner assurances.
