On Thursday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation released preliminary results of a nationwide survey. Conducted by the Responsible Gambling Center and supported by the Association of Ukrainian Gambling Operators, the study covered 3164 adults, including 415 youths, 409 internally displaced persons, and 404 military personnel. The data depicted an asymmetric curve—**75%** of respondents believe gambling is a serious social issue in Ukraine, yet only 5% had actually placed bets in the past 12 months, with just 2% in the recent month. Intriguingly, 70% cited "wanting to win money" as their motivation for participating, but 83% of participants have completely stopped playing.
Sixty-five percent quit gambling not because they couldn't afford it, but because it was "uninteresting"
Among those who have quit gambling, 65% stated they simply lost interest. Financial constraints and addiction concerns accounted for 23% and 10% respectively, totaling less than one-third. In other words, the attrition in Ukraine's gambling sector is more about "user retention" than the "abyss of addiction." Eighty-three percent of participants denied any negative consequences, and 93% reported they had never borrowed money for gambling in the past year. This data significantly dilutes the simplistic narrative that "gambling is destroying Ukrainian families," yet the concerns of the 75% non-gambling group are real and widespread—30% of respondents said they know no one who gambles, a figure that contrasts sharply with the high level of concern, itself a measure of social anxiety.
Seventy-four percent want stricter regulation, but only 4% admit being influenced by advertising
The awareness of responsible gambling tools is notably higher among recent gamblers. Seventy-one percent are aware they can check their personal gaming data, 67% are familiar with the concept of responsible gambling, 60% understand the options for setting time and money limits, and 51% are aware of the national gambling restriction registry. However, when asked about the preferred direction for regulation, 50% of respondents voted for "tighter gambling advertising"—even though only 4% admitted their gambling behavior was influenced by ads.
This discrepancy between awareness and behavior precisely targets the recent focus of Ukrainian regulation. Readers following PASA's official website may have noticed that PlayCity just established a direct communication channel with Kick this week to accelerate the removal of illegal gambling ads, and the public reporting tool launched this month has already received hundreds of complaints. Twenty-nine percent of respondents hope for stronger control over online casinos' compliance, 27% believe tackling illegal gambling is key, 19% emphasize enforcing age restrictions, and 15% support increasing public information and educational efforts. Overall, 74% support stronger government anti-addiction measures, and 67% support strict industry regulation.
Military personnel and youth are labeled as high-risk, but internally displaced persons have not "lost ground"
The survey brought an unexpected conclusion regarding risk groups: the gambling participation rate among internally displaced persons aligns with the national average—not significantly deviating due to war trauma and life pressures. The real high-risk groups are youth and military personnel. In response to this finding, Ukraine has taken action—PlayCity has launched an automated system that intercepts military personnel attempting to access gambling sites, providing operators with a simple "yes/no" binary feedback, without disclosing any private or military-related information. A legal restriction already set to take effect in 2024 prohibits military personnel from entering casinos during martial law.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation states that the preliminary results of this survey will provide an evidence base for adjusting regulatory frameworks, upgrading monitoring systems, and optimizing responsible gambling intervention measures. The expansion of the national online monitoring system is expected to enable real-time tracking of in-game activities and initiate early interventions when risky behaviors are detected. The fact that 30% of Ukrainians know no gamblers, yet three-quarters view gambling as a severe social issue, highlights a significant gap that needs to be addressed beyond the data.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original deep channel for gambling:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
