Increase in Gambling Addiction in Ukraine: New Insights
Over the past year, Ukraine has seen a threefold increase in the number of individuals suffering from gambling addiction. Currently, the Register of Gamblers includes 12,807 Ukrainians.
According to data published by "Opendatabot", the Register welcomed 9,389 new individuals last year, while 1,496 were removed due to the expiration of their restriction period.
Since its inception, the total number of participants in the Register has reached 14,979, with 2,172 already removed.
It is noted that 99% of the entries in the Register are voluntary. Individuals themselves submit applications for self-restriction to temporarily block access to gambling venues and participation in games of chance. The limitation period ranges from six months to three years.
Only 1% consists of individuals whose access has been restricted by a KRAIL decision. Throughout the existence of the register, there have been 169 such decisions, almost all made last year.
Last year, an average of 780 individuals were added to the register each month, which is 2.8 times more than in 2023, when the listing was updated by about 280 individuals monthly. The highest number of self-restriction applications was in April – 1,041, while the lowest was in June – 524.
In the first two months of 2025, 1,719 individuals have already been added to the Register, averaging 860 per month, which is 10% more than in 2024.
"Opendatabot" emphasizes that currently there is no clear statistics on the actual number of citizens with gambling addiction in Ukraine, and the figures from the register do not reflect the complete picture, particularly regarding individuals playing at online casinos.