Ukraine’s Supreme Court has ruled that displaying gambling ads on outdoor media platforms will constitute restricted advertising. The highest court in Ukraine reviewed case number 320/33758/24 and concluded that showing an operator’s brand name qualifies as full advertising, which is prohibited, and any brand visibility has to comply with the national Law on Advertising. This
Ukraine’s Supreme Court has ruled that displaying gambling ads on outdoor media platforms will constitute restricted advertising.
The highest court in Ukraine reviewed case number 320/33758/24 and concluded that showing an operator’s brand name qualifies as full advertising, which is prohibited, and any brand visibility has to comply with the national Law on Advertising.
This legal battle started back in 2024, when the Ukrainian regulator PlayCity noticed an increase in outdoor gambling marketing campaigns, as a result of which the Lux Radio Broadcasting Company was fined for displaying gambling ads. Lux Radio challenged the accusation and the financial penalty and took the regulator to court; however, in the end, the court sided with the regulator and confirmed that it acted fully according to the law.
The Supreme Court judges ruled that any kind of brand information qualifies as a gambling promotion, meaning that brand names trigger advertising legal restrictions. Gambling brand information placed on outside billboards was specifically criticized, as outdoor formats explicitly violate current national laws.
The ruling has clarified all legal grey areas regarding gambling ads and established a unified standard for evaluating all future outdoor gambling advertising cases, as PlayCity announced that, moving forward, it will strictly enforce advertising compliance.