A recent government-supported survey indicates a strong preference among online casino players in Ukraine for licensed operators. Conducted by the SOCIOINFORM Sociological Centre and commissioned by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, the second phase of this study surveyed 2,676 online casino users between May 19 and June 26, 2026, using an online method known as Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI).
The findings, released on Wednesday, reveal that 86% of respondents prefer licensed online casinos, and 78% have expressed no desire to switch to illegal operators. Despite this trend towards legality, informal gambling remains a concern; one in five players indicated that they know others who gamble on unlicensed sites. The primary reasons for choosing these illegal platforms include quick registration without identity checks (33%), anonymity (17%), and the absence of restrictions (16%).
The demographic profile of online casino players generally represents middle-income, educated Ukrainians. The report highlights that 42% of participants have achieved higher education, while 38% possess secondary specialized education. Income levels reveal that 31% earn between 11,000 and 30,000 hryvnias monthly, and 25% make between 31,000 and 50,000 hryvnias. Many participants had considerable gambling experience, having started before the liberalization of Ukraine's gaming market. The majority of players in the survey were male (73%), with 20% of them reporting over ten years of gambling experience compared to 5% of women, who constituted 27% of the sample.
Motivations for gambling vary, with 40% citing curiosity and excitement as their main draw. Other factors included using gambling as a distraction from daily life (21%) and seeking out promotions (20%). Additionally, 17% were motivated by the desire to win money, while 14% were encouraged by social factors. Despite most respondents (59%) describing their gambling as controlled and recreational, 35% acknowledged that their gambling can occasionally become uncontrollable. Around 25% admitted to sometimes chasing losses, and about 9% recognized that their gambling led to significant financial or personal troubles.
These results differ from findings in PlayCity’s earlier nationwide study, which indicated that 70% of participants primarily gambled for monetary gain. That study involved 3,164 adults, including youth, internally displaced individuals, and military personnel.
The survey results have implications for government policy, particularly in shaping the Ministry’s Strategy to Combat Gambling Addiction, which aims to cover prevention, responsible gaming, early risk detection, and support services until 2035. However, awareness of responsible-gaming tools is mixed; while 64% of players are aware that such measures exist, only about a third can name specific tools. Two-thirds of participants knew about self-control features, and 40% were aware of setting time limits and spending caps. Only 13% knew they could access their gaming statistics, and a mere 10% recognized the national Register of Persons with Restricted Access to Gambling.
Trust in gambling regulation appears divided, with 53% of respondents believing that the sector is adequately monitored. Trust in both the Ministry of Digital Transformation and PlayCity stands at 44%, with 22% well-informed about their roles and 30% somewhat familiar. PlayCity, Ukraine’s gambling regulator for its inaugural year, has issued 250 licenses to operators, lotteries, and suppliers, while also launching initiatives to combat illegal gambling through enhanced communication channels with the social media platform Kick. This approach aims to expedite the removal of content promoting unlicensed gambling, as operators and streamers use social media to target Ukrainian audiences.
