Poker in Ukraine: licensed online poker, PlayCity and the tax
Ukraine is one of the few countries in eastern Europe with a proper licensed online poker market — a separate licence category, a state regulator, and operators withholding tax at source. It is also a country at war, and both facts belong on this page.
Play online from Ukraine
GGPoker
Home of the WSOP Online, GGPoker runs the biggest guaranteed tournaments and the busiest cash games online. Locally licensed skins (GGPoker.uk, GGPoker.de, GGPoker.nl, GGPoker.ca in Ontario) serve regulated markets.
Play at GGPoker →Is online poker legal in Ukraine?
Top players from Ukraine
All players| # | Player | Hometown | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | Slovenia (born in Ukraine) | $15,452,569 |
| 2 | Eugene Katchalov | Brooklyn, New York (born in Kyiv) | $10,028,687 |
| 3 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | Seattle, Washington | $7,952,641 |
| 4 | Oleksii Khoroshenin | London (born in Kyiv) | $3,589,733 |
| 5 | Andrey Lyubovetskiy | Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine | $2,958,823 |
| 6 | Ruslan Prydryk | Luhansk, Ukraine | $2,884,952 |
| 7 | Oleksii Kovalchuk | Kyiv | $2,645,063 |
| 8 | Nazar Buhaiov | Budva, Montenegro | $2,495,853 |
Online poker is licensed here
Ukraine legalised gambling with Law No. 768-IX, passed on 14 July 2020, which replaced the blanket prohibition that had been in force since 2009. The law created distinct licence categories, and **online poker has its own** — separate from online casino, separate from betting. That is unusual; most regulated markets fold poker into a general online gaming licence.
The regulator changed in January 2025, when KRAIL was dissolved and replaced by **PlayCity**, a digital licensing and supervision platform run under the Ministry of Digital Transformation. The practical difference is speed: applications are processed through an online portal with tracked, timestamped decisions rather than committee votes.
Tax — and it is withheld for you
Winnings are subject to **18% personal income tax plus a 5% military levy**, and the licensed operator withholds and remits both. You do not receive a gross figure and settle up later; the deduction happens at the point of payment.
That is a meaningful difference from the unlicensed alternative, where nothing is withheld and the obligation — and the paperwork — is entirely yours.
Playing during the war
Martial law has been in force since February 2022. Live poker has not stopped entirely; clubs in Kyiv and Lviv have continued to run tournaments around curfews and air-raid protocols, and Ukrainian players are still travelling to European festivals. But schedules change at short notice and anything we publish about a venue's hours should be checked directly before you travel.
Ruslan Prydryk finished fifth in the 2023 WSOP Main Event for $2,400,000 listing Luhansk as home. That is the context in which Ukrainian poker has kept going.
The players
Ukraine's record is stronger than its population suggests. Igor Yaroshevskyy is 110th in the world with $15.45m, most of it won on the Triton circuit since 2024. Eugene Katchalov and Yevgeniy Timoshenko both hold major titles from the previous era — the Doyle Brunson Classic and the WPT World Championship respectively. Oleksii Kovalchuk has two WSOP bracelets and still lives in Kyiv.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is online poker legal in Ukraine?
Yes. Law No. 768-IX of 14 July 2020 created a licensed market, and online poker has its own separate licence category.
Who regulates gambling in Ukraine?
PlayCity, which replaced KRAIL in January 2025 and operates as a digital licensing and supervision platform under the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
How are poker winnings taxed in Ukraine?
18% personal income tax plus a 5% military levy, withheld and remitted by the licensed operator.
Is live poker still running during the war?
Partly. Clubs in Kyiv and Lviv have continued around curfews and air-raid protocols, but schedules change at short notice — check directly before travelling.