The Register of Gamblers was replenished last year by a record number of Ukrainians.

The Register of Gamblers tripled in size over the year

The number of Ukrainians in the register of gamblers has tripled over the past year, currently standing at 12,807 individuals. This information was reported by 'Glavkom' referencing 'Opendatabot'. Over the year, 9,389 people were added to the register, while 1,496 were removed due to expiration of restrictions. In total, 14,979 individuals have been registered, of which 2,172 were excluded.

Accessing the register is usually voluntary. People submit a self-restriction application to close access to gambling establishments and games of chance for a certain period. The restriction period can range from six months to three years. Only 1% of individuals in the register are those whose access to gambling establishments is restricted by decision of the CRAIL. During this time, 169 such decisions were made, most of which occurred last year. None of these individuals were placed in the register through court rulings.

Increase in self-restriction applications

Last year, about 780 individuals joined the register monthly, which is 2.8 times more than in 2023. In April, the highest number of applications was received - 1,041, while the lowest in June, with only 524. During the first two months of 2025, 1,719 individuals were registered, which is 10% more than in 2024.

It is worth noting that the numbers in the register do not reflect the complete picture - in particular, there is no statistics on individuals playing at online casinos. However, from January to November 2024, Ukrainians spent approximately UAH 12.7 billion monthly on replenishing gaming accounts at online casinos and bookmakers.

Creation of the state agency 'PlayCity'

The government has formed the state agency 'PlayCity', which will organize and conduct gambling and lotteries. The Cabinet of Ministers has also decided to liquidate the CRAIL. The new regulator will operate under the Ministry of Digital Transformation and will control the market of gambling and lotteries. According to the expert group of the World Health Organization, up to 80% of the revenues of bookmakers were generated by people with gambling addiction.