The Hidden Crisis of War and Gambling Addiction
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a comprehensive state plan to combat gambling addiction, designed to run until 2035.
According to the Cabinet resolution No.855-r of August 26, 2026, “the high level of psycho-emotional stress caused by the prolonged armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine significantly increases the propensity for gambling as a destructive way of coping with stress, which raises the risk of developing gambling addiction (ludomania)”.Reports have swirled that both Ukraine and Russia are using honey traps and illegal gambling to obtain sensitive information, stage attacks, and diminish the opposing side’s combat effectiveness. A recent study found that three in four Ukrainians see gambling as a serious threat to public health.
Implementing Order 855 and the Ukraine 2035 Gambling Strategy
Ukraine has approved its first cross-sector strategy to combat gambling addiction, with a three-year operational plan spanning 2027-2029.The Ministry of Digital Transformation has separately prepared a draft Strategy to Minimise the Negative Impact of Gambling and Combat Gambling Addiction.This framework, which will run until 2035, aims to balance citizen protection with the preservation of tax revenues and effective regulation of the gambling market.
Ukraine has approved Order 855, a three-year plan running 2027-2029 with 40 agencies to cut gambling addiction worsened by war.It stresses awareness, screenings, veteran rehab, and black market enforcement, where up to half of bets occur.The strategy brings together the efforts of more than 40 government agencies, including the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the State Security Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Police.
Public Health Screenings and Targeting Vulnerable Youth
Young people constitute a particularly high-risk group, in particular young people who are not studying or working, are outside the formal education system, and are facing difficult life circumstances as a result of the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine. This strategy brings together the work of around 40 government agencies and covers the full range of measures – from preventing and early identifying the risks of gambling addiction to helping people who have already encountered it. It provides for: awareness campaigns and lessons in schools about the risks of gambling; screenings for addiction risk and other early detection tools; more opportunities to receive treatment, psychological support, and rehabilitation; programs for service members and veterans; blocking illegal websites and advertisements, as well as combating crime in this area.
The PlayCity Ukraine Military Gambling Ban
Ukraine first ordered a ban on service members accessing gambling establishments and participating in online gambling during martial law in April 2024. PlayCity is enforcing a law by the government, which has directed the regulator to ensure that military servicemen and women are prohibited from gambling following fears that Russian operatives are using this dependency to blackmail soldiers, and that associated gambling-related problems are diminishing the army combat effectiveness.
It was reported earlier in the year that the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Defence were working on plans to develop such a system to block the military from gambling in Ukraine.Ukrainian gambling watchdog PlayCity has launched a tender for the development of a new software module that will ensure that military personnel are blocked from accessing gambling features.
How Trembita Tech Enables Automated Blocking
According to a statement reported by Ukrinform, the module will establish electronic interaction between the Register of Persons Restricted from Access to Gambling and the State Register of Military Personnel.The new system will use Trembita, the secure electronic data exchange platform that connects Ukrainian government registries and powers online public services, to enable automated information exchange between the two registers.
Explaining how the system will operate, the agency stated that when a player registers or logs in, the gambling operator will first check the Register of Persons Restricted from Access to Gambling. If no restriction is found, the system will automatically cross-reference the State Register of Military Personnel.Should grounds for restriction be detected, access will be blocked.If a person is a match, they will be denied entry into regulated gambling websites, and licensed venues.Operators will not be informed of a player’s military status, only the outcome of the check, in an effort to ensure that sensitive information remains protected.
Deadlines and the Fight Against the Black Market
The ministry is hoping to have implemented the resulting software solution by December 24, 2026 at the very latest.Once completed, PlayCity and the Ministry of Defence will carry out testing to confirm the electronic interaction between the registers, with this stage scheduled to be finalised by December 24. Following successful verification, the results will be made public and the restriction mechanism will be formally introduced. However, a real risk remains and that is – illegal gambling websites that are purposefully targeting vulnerable people and problem gamblers, especially among army servicemen and women.
Sources: UNN, LIGA.net, iGamingBusiness, FocusGN (referencing Ukrinform), GamblingNews, SCCG Management, and the Player Protection Hub.
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today's digital landscape.