The Ukrainian government is preparing to enact a ban on online gambling for military personnel, responding to concerns regarding growing addiction among soldiers. Gennady Novikov, head of the Ukrainian gambling regulator PlayCity, announced that the Cabinet of Ministers supports this initiative in a recent Facebook post. "Gambling addiction is a real danger," Novikov emphasized, noting that for military personnel, such risks could affect not just individual well-being but also national security.
Earlier this year, leaders in the Ukrainian gambling sector opposed the proposal, with the Association of Ukrainian Gaming Operators warning that it would boost illegal operations. The association's chief, Alexander Kogut, argued that the ban would not prevent soldiers from gambling, stating, "Lobbyists for the illegal market would start popping the champagne corks."
To enforce the new ban, PlayCity plans to implement a system to verify identities on gambling platforms. Novikov indicated that this system would operate automatically and without inconvenience to users. The legal online casino operators will cross-check their identification processes with the Register of Military Personnel, a database that the Ministry of Defense introduced just over a year ago. Additionally, operators will confirm login information against the Register of Persons with Restricted Access to Gambling. "If the reason for the restriction is confirmed in one of the two registers, access to the [gambling platform] will be blocked," Novikov explained.
PlayCity is collaborating with the Ministry of Defense on technical solutions, utilizing the Trembita platform for data sharing. Trembita, developed in Estonia, serves as a digital data-sharing platform for the Ukrainian government with about 200 government registries currently using it.
Calls for a ban on gambling among military personnel have been increasing over the past few years. In 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky initiated an investigation into claims of widespread gambling within the armed forces. While some soldiers have described online casinos as a means to handle stress, others argue that gambling is a societal issue not limited to the military. One officer voiced concerns that gambling addiction leads to significant financial troubles, with soldiers reportedly spending pay on online casinos and accruing massive debts from high-interest loans, sometimes resorting to stealing or pawning military equipment.
The Ministry of Defense announced in March that it was developing a solution to block access to gambling sites to mitigate these risks. However, this measure will be temporary and remain in effect only during the period of martial law.
PlayCity continues to express its commitment to combating illegal betting, with Novikov stating that these efforts aim to foster a transparent and safer gambling industry.
