Domain .UA for casinos in Ukraine: is it mandatory?

Over the past few months, the word “casino”, and the very concept of gambling, have become so popular that few people in Ukraine have not heard about their legalization. 

Obviously, at this stage in Ukraine, quite a few entrepreneurs became interested in starting such a business. But we want to note that even taking into account the fact that this business is no longer included in the concept of “illegal activity” - it will not be as easy to start it as it might seem at first glance. 

In this publication, we will tell you about the main pitfalls and the role of the .ua domain name in the start of gambling business in Ukraine.

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What to expect, when you start the casino registration process in Ukraine?

The complexity of the process can be explained by the fact that the opening of both an ordinary casino and an online casino, which we will discuss in more detail today, is a multi-stage and expensive process. 

Speaking about the multistage process, we mean that before starting a casino you will have to do the following preparatory work: 

• To develop and publish the gambling rules on the platform of your online casino;
• To obtain certificates for your online platform;
• To ensure the compliance of a number of technical requirements, such as the ability to ensure fair gaming and secure processing of personal data;
• To obtain a bank guarantee from the State Bank of Ukraine or other acceptable bank;
• To obtain the Gambling License; 
• To register your trademark, which will enable you to register the .ua domain name. 

We have already talked a little about the legalization of online casinos in Ukraine here, now we will consider in more detail the issue of obtaining the .ua domain name, and registration of the necessary trademark (hereinafter - TM). 

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What are the requirements to the website for online casino in Ukraine

One of the main complex requirements for the future owner of online casinos is the availability of a website. We are not talking about the technical difficulties in the development and creation of the website, but about the fact that your website must have the .ua domain name, which can be obtained only if you have a TM, or rather - if there is a unique designation protected by exclusive rights for goods or services, registered with the Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Property.  

This means that if you want to become the owner of the online gambling business, you need to think in advance about such a technical component of the process as the TM registration. It’s worth noting that in practice, the registration of TM takes a significant amount of time. If earlier we talked about 10-15 months, and 7-9 months on a fast-track basis, now the procedure of the trademark registration takes 20 months and more, or 10 months and more on a fast-track basis. 

Registration of the domain is not a complicated procedure, but provided that you have a trademark and meet all the conditions prescribed by law. 

Please note! The domain name shall be chosen in strict accordance with the name of your TM and (or) the trademark of your enterprise.

If you think about starting an online casino or other gambling establishment in Ukraine, don’t hesitate to call us. We will help you determine the type of Gambling License for your business and tell you about the requirements of the licensing authority.

Do you need more information?

Read more about the documents and requirements for obtaining a Casino License here.