PlayCity fines Tribuna.com owner ₴5.2m over gambling advertising

Ukraine's PlayCity has fined SPORT SOHODNI LLC, the company behind Tribuna.com, ₴5.2m ($116,000) over advertising linked to illegal gambling, the regulator confirmed on its Telegram channel. PlayCity said it detected advertisements using a brand associated with unlicensed gambling activity. The decision is the second financial penalty the regulator has issued to the company over similar conduct.

“Advertising illegal gambling is unacceptable. We continue to identify violations and hold those who fail to comply with legal requirements accountable”

In October 2025 the regulator had already fined Tribuna.com ₴4.8m over hidden advertising that promoted illegal bookmakers. PlayCity's position was upheld at first instance after the company went to court, and Tribuna.com is now appealing that outcome. The fresh ₴5.2m sanction rests on a separate batch of findings about illegal gambling advertising.

The regulator's statement called advertising of illegal gambling unacceptable. It added that its work of spotting breaches and pursuing accountable parties under the legal requirements is ongoing.

PlayCity has taken several enforcement steps during the year. In the month before the Tribuna.com decision, it fined Ukrainian blogger and actor Bohdan Sheludyak UAH5.2m over illegal gambling advertising found on his Instagram account, @bushe8. Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk received a separate penalty of nearly UAH 5.2 m from the regulator in April for gambling advertising violations.

Rules that came into force in April 2025 largely stop media and cultural workers, public figures and people who earn money regularly from sharing content on their social media platforms from promoting gambling. One of the few exceptions allowed under the rules is professional athletes. Gambling advertisements may appear only in certain registered media for audiences aged 21 and over, on operators' own websites, and on platforms able to restrict promotions to users above that age threshold.

Monitoring has been increased, and earlier this year the regulator confirmed that 16 bloggers and media organisations had been sanctioned since it started operations. Partnerships with Meta, TikTok, Viber and Google help it spot and curb prohibited gambling content online. Members of the public can also report suspected breaches directly through an online reporting system the regulator introduced.