Head of practice
Head of Corporate Law and Fintech Practice. Expert in the creation and reorganization of companies, support of M&A transactions, as well as legal support for opening and running a business in the EU, Asia, and North America.
Internet poker license
The Ukrainian online gambling market is actively developing, and the demand for legal poker on the Internet is growing. In order to work in this segment in accordance with the legislation, companies must obtain a special license to conduct activities related to the organization and conduct of online gambling, including poker. The regulator of this process is the State Agency for Control of Gambling and Lottery Business – Play City, which issues, renews and monitors compliance with the terms of licenses.
The law firm “Prikhodko & Partners”, of which I am the head of the international corporate law and fintech practice, has significant experience in supporting online licensing, including online poker projects. We work with both Ukrainian operators and international companies planning to enter the Ukrainian market.
A license for online poker is a state permit that gives the operator the right to legally organize and conduct online poker games for users in Ukraine. Such a license allows the company to:
- register activities as an online gaming operator;
- conclude agreements with payment providers, banks, PSPs, etc.;
- integrate a player identification system;
- protect players’ rights in accordance with the requirements of the law.
Play City is the body that regulates these processes, introducing requirements for operators and monitoring compliance with license conditions.
To obtain an online poker license, the operator must meet a number of criteria:
Legal and corporate structure
The operator must be legally registered in Ukraine or registered in a jurisdiction recognized by Play City (in the case of an SPV or representative office). The main requirements are:
- transparent ownership structure;
- absence of ties to blacklisted jurisdictions;
- confirmed integrity of beneficiaries and top management.
Technical solutions
The system must ensure:
- security of user data;
- a reliable identification mechanism (AML/KYC);
- fraud prevention and game risk control;
- integration with Play City’s automated monitoring systems.
Financial capacity
The operator must confirm the stability of financial flows, the origin of funds and the ability to fulfill obligations to players, partners and the state.
Compliance and Responsible Gaming Policies
The package of documents should include:
- AML/KYC policies;
- Responsible Gaming procedures;
- internal controls and reporting mechanisms;
- the rights of the licensee for a .UA domain name.
Obtaining an online poker license takes place in several consecutive stages:
Stage 1 — Project analysis and preparation
This includes an audit of the platform architecture, technical solutions, compliance policies, ownership structure and financial models. At this stage, internal documents that meet Play City requirements are prepared.
Stage 2 — Preparation of a package of documents
- corporate documents;
- technical specifications of the software and infrastructure;
- compliance policies;
- business plan;
- confirmation of resources;
- description of AML/KYC processes.
Stage 3 — Submission and interaction with Play City
Documents are submitted to the regulator, where they undergo a formal review, followed by expert review. The average processing time for online license applications is 30–60 calendar days, but depends on the quality and completeness of the submitted documentation.
Stage 4 — Receiving a decision
After a positive review, the operator receives a license that allows it to legally provide online poker services on the Internet.
Legal work with online poker provides a number of important advantages:
- legal protection of the business;
- access to financial services (banks, PSP, EMI);
- the ability to work with international payment providers;
- customer trust;
- optimal conditions for cooperation with partners;
The operation of an online platform without the required license is associated with serious legal risks:
- fines and sanctions from Play City;
- ban on activity;
- blocking of financial accounts;
- negative consequences for reputation;
- problems with international partners.
The law firm “Prikhodko and Partners” has many years of experience in the field of international corporate law, FinTech, gambling regulation and compliance. We provide full support in obtaining and maintaining licenses for online poker for our clients.
Project Audit
We start by analyzing your product, technology architecture, corporate structure, financial flows and policies. This allows us to identify risks and build an optimal legal strategy.
Document preparation
- technical descriptions,
- compliance policies (AML/KYC, Responsible Gaming),
- business models,
- documents on IT system security.
Interaction with the regulator
- we submit documents,
- respond to inquiries and comments,
- provide legal reasoning if additional explanations are needed.
This significantly reduces the review time and reduces the risk of returning the package for revision.
Post-license support
A license is just the beginning. We provide:
- regular compliance audits,
- update policies in accordance with changes in the legal field,
- support during inspections,
- consultations with financial and operational partners.
Obtaining a license for online poker in Ukraine is a complex, but quite real legal process that opens access to a large and growing market. In 2025, the Play City regulator demonstrated that the quality of document preparation and the depth of legal expertise determine success or failure.
The Prikhodko & Partners team provides a full range of legal support for online poker operators: from project audit and document preparation to interaction with the regulator and support after obtaining a license.
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Have you tried getting an internet poker license before?
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