“The legal iGaming sector has already paid ₴13.94 billion in taxes over the first nine months of 2025 – Oleksandr KohutLegal iGaming paid UAH 13.94 billion in taxes in the first nine months of 2025, of which UAH 6.4 billion came from FAVBET. This
indicates a significant contribution of the industry to the economy, despite the shadow market, which amounts to UAH 37.72 to
66.53 billion.
”, — write: unn.ua
According to Kohut, only FAVBET transferred ₴6.4 billion in taxes to the state budget during this period, remaining one of the largest taxpayers in the legal iGaming segment.
According to him, Ukrainian legal iGaming has, over the past few years, evolved into a significant sector of the economy: the estimated annual turnover of the “white” segment is about ₴59 billion. At the same time, the shadow market ranges from ₴37.72 billion to ₴66.53 billion, with up to 90% of illegal online casinos having Russian origins.
“Half of the market is legal and pays taxes, while the other half remains in the shadows,” Kohut emphasizes. According to AUOGB estimates, due to the activity of “black” operators, the state annually loses ₴17–19 billion in taxes.
If this segment were brought out of the shadows, the industry could potentially generate an additional ₴30–40 billion in annual tax revenues.
Kohut directly links the success of de-offshorization with future tax inflows. In just the first nine months of 2025, the legal sector paid ₴13.94 billion in taxes, and AUOGB forecasts ₴18–19 billion by year-end. Moreover, 65% of all payments are already provided by Association members, and after new companies join, their share may increase to 75–80%.
Kohut also commented separately on FAVBET, which has recently faced a series of information attacks. “If you’re asking about FAVBET’s figures — it’s no secret: they paid ₴6.4 billion over the first nine months of this year and have already made these numbers public,” he said, adding that this amount roughly equals the annual budgets of Mykolaiv or Vinnytsia and exceeds those of several other regional centers.
Against this backdrop, Kohut speaks of a “coordinated information attack” from the shadow market — particularly from Russia-linked online casinos — attempting to portray legal operators as tax evaders. In his opinion, this is the “black” segment’s reaction to the first real steps toward market transparency.
“Before believing these manipulative stories, I recommend looking only at the numbers — how much the industry paid in taxes, how much specific players contributed. Numbers don’t lie,” he stresses.
As a key tool for combating illegal casinos, Kohut considers changing the current approach to website blocking. Today, the procedure can take up to ten days — far too long for a market where half the turnover operates in the shadows.
The Association proposes an “instant shutdown” model under the Ministry of Digital Transformation, expanding the powers of the PlayCity regulator and NCEC, and strengthening the responsibility of internet providers for delayed blocking.
At the same time, the AUOGB president admits that excessive fiscal and regulatory pressure on legal operators pushes part of the market back underground. He reminds that the tax burden on legal gambling in Ukraine exceeds 28%, and that legislative norms often contradict each other — particularly regarding the relationship between profit tax and GGR or the taxation of players’ winnings.
Outlining the future architecture of the market, he warns against attempts to monopolize or nationalize the sector, which would inevitably create “a new feeding trough” for corruption.
Instead, Kohut envisions a competitive market model with a large number of licensed operators under the supervision of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and with clear coordination among government agencies in combating the “black” segment.
According to him, the recipe for successful market management is no excessive patronage and no excessive taxation.
“What Ukraine truly needs is respect for business — respect for our industry as a major taxpayer. Not political hype, but respect and honesty,” the expert concludes.