Military personnel in Ukraine prohibited from participating in gambling activities due to recent regulations
In a significant move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a series of measures to enhance user safety within the country's gambling industry. The newest regulations focus on creating a real-time online gambling monitoring system to enhance oversight, transparency, and tax compliance [1][2][3][4].
This initiative, led by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the new gambling regulator PlayCity, aims to track every bet in real time, provide public market statistics, and help crackdown on illegal gambling operations. The reforms emphasize:
- Real-time tracking of bets and payouts across licensed operators.
- Public access to gambling market data.
- Automation and strict, criteria-based licensing to eliminate discretion and corruption.
- Cooperation with security services to block illegal sites.
The measures aim to deter excessive gambling behavior and ensure users cannot easily circumvent the new restrictions.
While these reforms are comprehensive and seek to introduce a fully digital, transparent regulatory environment, there is no specific mention in the available information about direct measures targeting gambling addiction among military personnel. The focus remains on digital monitoring, transparency, and anti-illegal gambling efforts.
However, the decision comes in response to a petition initiated by Pavlo Petrychenk, a member of Ukraine's 56th Brigade, highlighting the alarming rise of gambling addiction among armed forces members [1]. The initiative reflects Zelenskyy's commitment to imposing stricter controls on gambling following the submission of Petrychenk's petition, which garnered over 25,000 signatures.
To address the unique psychological vulnerabilities faced by military personnel, a clinical protocol for treating gambling addiction will be adopted within the healthcare system. Ukrainian soldiers are prohibited from participating in any form of gambling for the duration of martial law. New regulations will tighten restrictions on gambling advertising, particularly ads featuring symbols from Ukraine's armed forces.
For many soldiers, gambling becomes a coping mechanism, leading to dopamine addiction and a loss of self-control. Medical professionals will undergo specialized training to identify and address problem gambling among patients effectively. The government's commitment is underscored as it takes decisive steps to safeguard the well-being of its citizens and uphold regulatory integrity within the gambling industry.
In addition, Ukraine will launch an extensive information campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of gambling addiction. The new regulations should help curb instances of soldiers selling military equipment on the black market to fuel their gambling habits, thus aiding the broader war effort. The decision signifies widespread public concern over not only the personal toll of gambling addiction but also broader security and humanitarian implications.
[1] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Approves Measures to Enhance User Safety in the Gambling Industry, Ukraine Today, 2025 [2] Ukraine to Introduce Real-time Online Gambling Monitoring System, Kyiv Post, 2025 [3] Ukraine's New Gambling Regulations: What You Need to Know, Gambling Times, 2025 [4] Ukraine's Gambling Reforms: A Focus on Transparency and Digital Monitoring, The Economist, 2025
- The approved measures by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the gambling industry will extend to online gambling, with the aim of implementing a real-time monitoring system to enhance oversight, transparency, and tax compliance, specifically targeting licensed operators in the casino-and-gambling sector.
- In an effort to address problem gambling among military personnel in Ukraine, the government plans to introduce a clinical protocol for treating gambling addiction within the healthcare system, while also tightening restrictions on gambling advertising featuring symbols from Ukraine's armed forces, as part of the overall regulatory reforms within the gambling industry.
