Study shows three-quarters of Ukrainians believe gambling to be serious issue for the country

On Thursday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation published the initial findings from a landmark nationwide survey assessing the social impact of gambling across the country. 

Conducted by the Centre for Responsible Gaming and supported by the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Operators, the study surveyed 3,164 adults. The sample included key demographic groups such as 415 young people, 409 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 404 military personnel. 

Low participation amid high concern

The research highlighted a contrast between the public’s perception of gambling as a significant social issue and relatively low personal involvement in gambling activities. Around 84% of surveyed individuals did not consider themselves gamblers.

One in three respondents reported that they do not know anyone who gambles, while only 5% had gambled in the previous 12 months, with 2% having done so in the last month.

Despite low participation, 75% regarded gambling as a serious challenge facing Ukraine.

The primary motivation for gambling was financial, with 70% citing the desire to win money. Emotional factors and excitement motivated 41%, while about 17% identified reasons such as fun, distraction, advertising, or peer influence.

Among those who had engaged in gambling, the majority described their involvement as short-lived, with 83% reporting having ceased gambling.

Reasons for stopping included loss of interest (65%), financial constraints (23%) and concerns about addiction (10%).

Negative consequences related to gambling appeared relatively infrequent, with 83% denying any adverse effects and 93% stating they had not lent money to others for gambling in the past year.

Responsible gambling tools

The survey found that awareness of responsible gambling measures was notably higher among recent players. 

Around 71% knew they could access personal play statistics, while 67% were familiar with the concept of responsible gaming.

Of the respondents, 60% understood options to set time and financial limits, with 51% aware of the national register of persons with restricted gambling access.

A significant majority expressed support for stronger governmental measures to address gambling-related risks, with 74% advocating tougher protections against gambling addiction. In addition, 67% supported strict sector regulation.

The survey identified several key priorities for gambling regulation. Nearly half of respondents (50%) called for tighter restrictions on gambling advertising, despite only 4% reporting that advertising had influenced their own gambling behaviour. 

Just this week, the regulator has collaborated with the social media platform Kick to accelerate the removal of content promoting unlicensed gambling. This comes with the introduction of an online complaints tool for public use to tackle illegal gambling advertisements. 

Enhanced controls over online casino compliance were highlighted by 29% of participants, while 27% viewed efforts to combat illegal gambling as a critical area of focus. A further 19% emphasised the importance of enforcing age restrictions, and 15% supported greater public information and education campaigns to raise awareness of gambling-related risks. 

Risk groups

The study dispels assumptions of increased gambling among internally displaced persons, finding their participation rates mirror the national average. 

Conversely, young people and military personnel were identified as higher-risk groups, with findings set to inform targeted prevention and awareness initiatives.

Some targeted prevention has already begun with PlayCity launching an automated system that would block Ukrainian military personnel from accessing gambling sites. Gambling operators receive only a binary “yes/no” indication on whether access is permitted, without disclosure of any private or military-related information, according to ministry officials. 

Legal restrictions introduced in 2024 mean that military personnel are barred from accessing casinos under martial law. 

Next steps

The Ministry of Digital Transformation notes that these preliminary survey results offer a robust evidence base to tailor regulation, expand monitoring systems and improve responsible-gaming interventions.

Planned extensions to the State Online Monitoring System are expected to enhance real-time tracking of in-game activity and facilitate early intervention for players exhibiting risky behaviour.

Officials describe the published results as part of a multi-stage research project. Subsequent phases will delve deeper into player behaviour, risk assessment and the effectiveness of harm-reduction tools.