The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting has not registered blogger Vlada Thompson’s Instagram account as an online media outlet. Previously, the state agency PlayCiti fined several bloggers without such registration for advertising gambling.
The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting has not registered blogger Vlada Thompson’s Instagram account as an online media outlet. Previously, the state agency PlayCiti fined several bloggers without such registration for advertising gambling.
Forbes Ukraine writes about this.
«You will have more privileges with advertisers if you are registered as a media outlet,» says Thompson (Vladislava Lukashuk), who has over 400,000 followers on Instagram.
In October, the PlayCity agency, which regulates gambling and lotteries, blocked 93 pages on Instagram and TikTok and imposed fines of over UAH 24 million.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the state agency PlayCity fined blogger Dariana Koretska UAH 4.8 million for illegally advertising an online casino. The BEB’s check proved that the «winnings» were fictitious.
This is not the first time the regulator has fined bloggers for illegal casino advertising. Earlier, Playcity reported a fine of UAH 4.8 million on Instagram blogger Rusalochka XL for illegal gambling advertising.
The first Instagram blogger to be fined UAH 4.8 million by PlayCity for casino advertising was Yelizar Bashynskyi, while another millionaire blogger, Simbochka, was blocked on Instagram altogether for illegal casino advertising, along with other bloggers with a smaller audience. Later, Simbochka was also fined almost UAH 5 million.
The National Council reported that the reason for Vlada Thompson’s refusal was that her Instagram page is «a blog with her own opinions, not media in the classical sense.» The decision also stated that her application for registration also lacked information about the place where the online media is registered or operates, as well as its mailing address.
Advertising of betting, gambling and sports betting was banned in May 2024. In January 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Law No. 9256-d, the purpose of which, in particular, to enshrine the ban on casino advertising in Ukrainian legislation.
In the version before the first reading, it was stated that any advertising of gambling is prohibited, including in online media. However, in the version before the second reading, these points were significantly transformed. The amendment, which was added by deputy Danylo Hetmantsev, made exceptions to the rules in the total ban on casino advertising. It became permitted in registered online media intended for persons over 21 years of age .
After the relevant amendments to the Law «On Advertising» regarding gambling in Ukraine, the number of online media registrations increased sharply. If in 2023–2024 there were 10 sports online media registered, then in the first quarter of 2025 there were 33, and in the second — already 187.
In particular, the Instagram and YouTube channels of football blogger and commentator Viktor Vacka are registered as media. However, as of October 1, 2025, the Register of Media Entities did not contain any YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram pages of bloggers in the «Lifestyle» category, Forbes Ukraine notes. Without registration, a social media account is not equated with media, so it formally cannot meet the requirements of the law for casino advertising, says Igor Rozkladai, chief expert on media law at the Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law.
«Fines totaling ₴24 million have already been applied to four bloggers and a sports website. Other violations are under consideration,» the Ministry of Digital Affairs reported in October.
Let us recall that the «sports website» in question is the limited liability company «SPORT SEGODNYA», which owns the sports website Tribuna. It was previously reported that it was fined UAH 4.8 million. Currently, dev.ua is also appealing a similar fine.
