The Unified Register Resumed Work, Prohibition Of Gambling Advertising

The Unified State Register Resumed Work

On 09 January 2025, the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organisations (hereinafter – the “USR”) resumed its work, reported the press service of the Ministry of Justice.

The following services have also been restored on the USR portal:

free search for information in the register;
formation of extracts;
obtainment of the results of administrative services by access code;
access of state bodies to the registry information through access identifiers.

In particular, electronic information interaction of the USR with the State Tax Service, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Pension Fund of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and other institutions that use the USR data in their activities has been restored.

Cancellation Of Employees’ Reservation Through Diia

On 31 December 2024, the Diia portal launched a service of reservation cancellation of employees liable for military service.
With this service, directors and/or other authorized persons of companies will be able to cancel the reservation of an employee and reserve another one if the limit of reserved employees is reached.

Cancellation of an employee’s reservation will take place in several steps:

log in to the Diia web portal using the legal entity’s electronic signature;
select the service “Employee’s reservation cancellation”;
submit an application for the cancellation containing the respective employees’ data;
sign the application with an electronic signature.

A response to the application will be sent to e-mail and Diia’s personal account within one day.

The application for cancellation of employees’ reservation may be submitted only once every 30 days.

Termination Of The Moratorium On Inspections Of Non-Food Products

On 01 January 2025, Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1511 dated 27 December 2024 “On Amendments to Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 303 dated 13 March 2022 and Invalidation of Certain Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine” came into force.

This resolution, in particular, declared that Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 550 dated May 3, 2022 “On Termination of State Control of Non-Food Products under Martial Law” is no longer in force.

Thus, the moratorium on inspections of non-food products was lifted.

Prohibition Of Gambling Advertising And Sponsorship

On 04 January 2025, Law of Ukraine No. 4116-IX “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Combat Gambling Addiction (Ludomania) and Improve State Regulation of Activities Related to the Organization and Conduct of Gambling and Lotteries” (Draft Law No. 9256-d) was published.

The law fully comes into force on 01 April 2025.

Prohibitions

advertising of gambling, advertising of trademarks, other intellectual property rights under which activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling are carried out, as well as other designations under which gambling is carried out (with some exceptions);
offering or providing any direct or indirect reimbursement of expenses for access to gambling facilities and/or participation in gambling;
placing images or references to gambling, trademarks, other intellectual property rights under which activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling are conducted, as well as other designations under which gambling is conducted, on any goods (items), except for placement on goods (items) used in gambling activities and except for placement of the sponsor’s trademarks, subject to compliance with the established requirements;
offering free bonuses (any other incentives) instead of placing a bet;
making phone calls, sending messages to an indefinite number of persons by means of postal communication, mobile communication, electronic communications in order to provide information about gambling;
proliferation of gambling advertising on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

These requirements also apply to any informational messages about charitable activities carried out by gambling organizers, their affiliates or any other persons using the gambling organizer’s brand, and the indication of gambling organizers or their brands as sponsors, partners of a certain activity or event in the advertising materials of other customers.

Exceptions

Exceptions to the prohibition of gambling advertising include advertising:

in linear audio-visual and audio media from 23:00 to 06:00;
in specialized publications dedicated to gambling and/or sports intended for persons over 21 years of age;
directly in the premises of gambling facilities;
on the websites of gambling organizers and/or in mobile applications of gambling organizers through which activities in the field of organizing and conducting gambling are carried out, as well as on the websites of gambling organizers on shared access platforms;
in online media registered in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Media” intended for persons over 21 years of age;
in non-linear audiovisual media registered in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Media”, provided that the technical capability to direct advertising to persons over 21 years of age is used;
on information-sharing platforms, video-sharing platforms, search engines (search services), provided that such platforms and systems (services) are technically capable of directing advertising to persons over 21 years of age.

Restrictions

However, even for the permitted advertising, the law establishes restrictions, namely, gambling advertising is prohibited:

participation of persons under the age of 21, including as photo models;
participation of military personnel, volunteers, doctors, other medical workers, as well as persons whose appearance imitates the appearance of military personnel or doctors;
participation of persons engaged in cultural and/or media activities, including representatives of media entities, professional artists, employees of cultural institutions, specialists in the creation of information products, public figures, as well as persons who regularly disseminate mass information under their editorial control through their own accounts on information sharing platforms for profit (hereinafter – the “popular persons”), except for athletes;
direct or indirect actions to popularize and/or encourage participation in gambling by popular persons, use of images, mentioning the names of popular persons, heroes of cinema, television and animated films;
the use of topics related to deterring and repelling the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as any patriotic appeals and/or symbols aimed at ensuring state sovereignty, security and defence, and patriotic education.

Liquidation of the Commission

The law, in particular, provides for the liquidation of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) and the establishment of a new authorized body by 01 April 2025, and imposes obligations on the Cabinet of Ministers to designate a Ministry that will formulate policy in the field of gambling and lotteries.

In addition, form the date of its publication, this Law repealed subclause 1 and subclause 4 of clause 1 of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Interests of Entities Submitting Reports and Other Documents during Martial Law or a State of War” for persons who are gambling organizers and operators of state lotteries, as well as persons involved in international transfers of goods.

Therefore:

gambling organizers and operators of state lotteries within 60 calendar days from the date of publication of the Law of Ukraine No. 4116-IX are obliged to submit to the central executive body that implements state policy in the field of organization and conduct of gambling and lottery activities the not-submitted reports for the entire period of non-submission in accordance with this Law;
entities engaged in international transfers of goods that have been granted a permit, conclusion or international import certificate, within three months from the date of publication of the Law of Ukraine No. 4116-IX are obliged to submit to the central executive body implementing the state policy in the field of state export control, the not-submitted written reports, other documents subject to submission together with the said reports for the entire period of non-submission in accordance with this Law.

Starting From 01 January 2025, All Taxpayers Will Pay The Unified Social Contribution

Starting From 01 January 2025, clause 919 of Section VIII “Final and Transitional Provisions” of the Law of Ukraine “On the Collection and Accounting of the Unified Contribution for Obligatory State Social Insurance” has been suspended, pursuant to clause 3 of the Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2025”.

Thus, the privilege that allowed individual entrepreneurs, regardless of their taxation system, and persons engaged in independent professional activities to voluntarily avoid paying the unified social contribution has been suspended.