The Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with the Ministry of Defense, is working on a mechanism that will limit Ukrainian military access to gambling during wartime.
This was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
This is a resolution that would prohibit military personnel from visiting gambling establishments and using online gaming platforms. Its discussion will continue until April 3, 2026.
Hereʼs how it will work: when a user enters the game, they will be checked against a register of people who have restricted access to gambling and a register of military personnel. If the restriction is confirmed, access to the game will be blocked.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs assures that there will be no data leakage, because the organizer of gambling will not see the military status. The system will only transmit the fact of the restriction — without data leakage and explanations.
The situation with the gambling business in Ukraine
In July 2020, the Verkhovna Rada legalized gambling in Ukraine. The law legalizes the activities of casinos, bookmakers, including online, slot machine halls, and the organization of online poker. The parliament included roulette, card games, dice, and slot machines as casino gambling.
In September 2020, the parliament created the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) — a state regulator that is responsible for licensing and regulating the gambling sector in Ukraine.
In 2023, Ukrainians spent almost UAH 400 million daily in online casinos, or over UAH 12 billion per month, as Economic Truth reported with reference to the National Bank. The military is most often hit by this industry, who then suffer from gambling addiction.
After this publication, lively discussions began in society about the problem of gambling, in particular among the military. An electronic petition appeared to restrict the operation of online casinos during martial law in Ukraine, which gathered the necessary votes for its consideration in a few hours.
On April 20, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree restricting the operation of online casinos. In May of the same year, the Cabinet of Ministers completely banned the advertising of gambling.
On March 25, 2025, the government decided to liquidate the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL), and its powers were transferred to the state agency “PlayCity".
In March 2026, the Ministry of Digital Affairs presented draft laws that propose banning offline bookmakers and changing the tax on winnings. They want to oblige organizers to monitor signs of addiction in players, and allow users to set limits themselves.
Author: Veronika Dovhanyuk
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