Military Personnel Blocked from Gambling Sites by Government Decision

Automated System to Restrict Military Access to Gambling

According to Главком: Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution introducing an automated mechanism that blocks military personnel from accessing gambling platforms during martial law. This system performs checks through official registries without sharing military lists with private companies. The initiative was prompted by a petition from soldier Pavlo Petrychenko, who died in April 2024. The decision has sparked debate: gambling operators warn it may push players toward the illegal market, which is 90% linked to the Russian Federation.

The resolution initiates technical preparations, but the mechanism itself is not yet operational. PlayCity and the Ministry of Defense are beginning to implement the automated verification process. During player authentication, the system queries the Register of Individuals with Restricted Access to Gambling. If no restriction is found, it cross-checks data with the Ministry of Defense's Military Personnel Register. Data exchange between registries occurs via the 'Trembita' electronic interaction system. Gambling organizers cannot see the reason for a restriction, only whether one exists.

Impact on the Gambling Market

Ukraine currently has 34 licensed gambling operators. Petrychenko's petition to limit military access to online casinos garnered 25,000 signatures within hours in spring 2024. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tasked the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and the National Security and Defense Council with developing a ban on military access to gambling establishments. Following a National Security and Defense Council decision on April 20, 2024, a presidential decree was drafted to enact the measure.

Olena Bondarenko stated that banning gambling for military personnel under martial law is a lawful preventive security measure, not professional discrimination. The restrictions aim to prevent enemy intelligence from exploiting addictions for blackmail or recruitment, which falls under permissible rights limitations per Article 64 of Ukraine's Constitution.

In its first year of operation, 'PlayCity' identified over 4,100 illegal gambling sites and flagged more than 700 social media pages for blocking. Sixteen fines totaling nearly 80 million hryvnias were imposed. In April 2026, the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Business Operators opposed the draft resolution in a letter to Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. Ukraine's legal gambling market is valued at approximately 59.6 billion hryvnias annually, while the illegal market ranges from 37.72 to 66.53 billion hryvnias.

Over one million Ukrainian military personnel will lose the ability to gamble at legal casinos and place bets with bookmakers. Concerns about gambling addiction among soldiers are rising: more than half of surveyed individuals consider it widespread, and about 20-25% personally know a soldier who gambled. The average military betting amount is 3,100 hryvnias, compared to the national average of 2,700 hryvnias.

The introduction of an automated system to block military access to gambling marks a significant step in combating addiction and protecting national security. This response to public demand could profoundly impact Ukraine's legal gambling market, as roughly one million soldiers lose access to these services. However, there is a risk that some may turn to illegal sources, creating additional challenges for regulators and law enforcement.

As the Ukrainian government takes steps to limit military personnel's access to gambling platforms, the implications for both soldiers and the gambling market are becoming clearer. This decision follows a growing concern about the potential risks associated with gambling during wartime. For a deeper understanding of the broader context and the government's stance on this issue, you can read more about the restrictions placed on military access to gambling.