The Security Service of Ukraine has reported the shutdown of both land-based and online casinos

Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) agents have shut down 43 illegal gambling establishments across Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia within a single day. This large-scale operation took place on December 20, following a directive from Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk to conduct inspections of gaming halls masquerading as lottery distribution points.
Law enforcement officials seized over 330 pieces of gambling equipment, including 11 roulette tables and 33 card game tables, along with documents and 1 million hryvnias in proceeds from the underground operations. The SBU stated that these illegal gambling venues had been operating with the tacit approval of representatives from law enforcement agencies. Criminal cases have been opened against the alleged owners of the gaming establishments and their protectors within the government, under charges related to organizing illegal gambling and abuse of power.
Additionally, on December 20, it was reported that from October to December 2019, the SBU identified and blocked 154 online casinos. The press service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) revealed that its staff had uncovered 14 companies facilitating illegal online gambling activities.
The intensified actions by law enforcement to crack down on illegal gambling operations followed a vote by the Ukrainian Parliament on December 19, where lawmakers rejected a bill to legalize gambling in the country. The next day, the Prime Minister, at the President's request, initiated checks on state lottery operators and companies using their licenses to conduct gambling activities.