A new national survey suggests Ukrainians worry deeply about gambling, even though only a small share say they have placed a bet or played casino games recently.
Low Play, Loud Concern
Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and gambling regulator PlayCity have released the first results of a nationwide study into gambling’s social impact, and the numbers are not exactly a neon-lit casino boom.
The survey covered 3,164 adults, including 415 young people, 409 internally displaced people and 404 military personnel. It found that 84% of Ukrainians do not consider themselves gamblers, while only 5% said they had gambled in the past year. Just 2% had done so in the previous month.
Yet concern runs far higher than participation. According to the findings, 75% of respondents view gambling as a serious challenge for Ukraine. That gap is the heart of the story: not many people are playing, but plenty think the sector needs a firmer hand on the wheel.
Players Know The Basics, But The State Wants More
Among recent gamblers, awareness of player-protection tools was stronger than one might expect. Of those who had played in the past month, 71% knew they could request their own gambling statistics, 67% knew about responsible gaming principles, 60% were aware of time and spending limits, and 51% knew about the register restricting some people from gambling.
For the average online casino player, that matters. These tools are not just regulatory wallpaper. Time limits, spending caps and self-exclusion systems can be the difference between a bit of entertainment and a session that gets ugly.
The survey also found that 83% of respondents with gambling experience had stopped playing. Most cited loss of interest, while 23% pointed to high spending or limited spare cash. Another 10% said worries about addiction pushed them away from gambling.
Advertising Takes Heat Despite Limited Pull
Nearly half of the respondents named gambling ad restrictions as a top regulatory priority. At the same time, only 4% said advertising influenced their own decision to gamble. That is a familiar regulatory puzzle: everyone thinks ads are dangerous, but almost nobody wants to admit they work on them.
PlayCity has already moved in that direction. The regulator recently opened an online complaints tool for illegal gambling ads, covering social media, websites, TV, radio, outdoor ads and other public channels. Reports can include links, screenshots and video evidence, with the system designed to preserve short-lived online content such as social media stories.
The agency has also worked directly with platforms including Kick, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Twitch, Viber and Google to speed up action against unlicensed gambling promotions. In one recent month, PlayCity said 37 social media accounts were blocked, while its wider campaign had restricted access to 785 profiles carrying non-compliant gambling ads.
Illegal Operators Remain The Real Villain
The study found that 78% of respondents believe illegal gambling harms Ukraine’s economy. That concern fits the regulator’s wider enforcement push.
PlayCity says it submitted more than 4,100 illegal gambling websites for blocking during its first year and cut the blocking process to roughly one day after detection. The regulator has also targeted mirror sites, payment routes and illegal advertising channels.
For licensed operators, that is good news. For players, it should mean fewer shady sites promising miracle wins, mystery bonuses and customer support that vanishes the moment withdrawals begin.
Military Personnel and Young Adults Face Closer Watch
The survey did not support the idea that internally displaced people gamble more than the general population. Young adults and military personnel, though, were flagged as higher-risk groups.
Ukraine has already acted on the military side. The government has been developing automated checks to block service members from online gambling during martial law. Operators would receive only a simple access approval or denial, without seeing private military-related data.
That privacy detail matters. A player-protection system can only work if it does not turn into a data free-for-all.
More Data Is Coming
Officials described the findings as the first phase of a broader research project. Future stages are expected to dig deeper into player behavior, risk levels and whether responsible gambling tools are actually doing their job.
For now, Ukraine’s message is clear: gambling participation may be low, but public tolerance for loose rules is even lower. The country is not just asking whether people play. It is asking whether the market can be kept clean enough for those who do.
