Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky legalized gambling in the country in August 2020. A great deal has changed since then. Now, Ukraine is at war with Russia and some have concerns that access to online gambling is causing addiction among soldiers.
In an evening address on April 2, Zelensky announced that the government will tighten control of the online gambling industry to “protect the interests of the society.”
a ban on gambling and access to online casinos for military personnel during martial law
As part of that reform, he is acting on the suggestion of soldier Pavlo Petrychenko, who started a petition calling for a ban on gambling and access to online casinos for military personnel during martial law. The ban proponent claims that gambling has become “the only way” for many soldiers to cope with the stress of warfare.
Petrychenko’s petition has gathered the required amount of signatures. Now, Zelensky has passed the task over to the Ukrainian authorities, urging them to collect data and provide a solution to the problem.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in the largest attack on a European country since World War II. Since then, Zelensky has introduced some changes to the gambling market, including gambling ad reform to bring the country more in line with the EU.
Zelensky also sanctioned major Ukrainian operator Parimatch in March last year for funding Russian interests. The sportsbook firm had to shut up shop in its home country as a result.