Ukraine will automate gambling access restrictions for military personnel through a system that cross-checks state registries before allowing registration or login with licensed operators. PlayCity, the state agency regulating gambling and lotteries, announced on August 27, 2026 a tender to develop the module that will connect the Register of Persons Restricted from Gambling with the State Register of Military Personnel managed by the Ministry of Defence, using the state data exchange platform Trembita.
The mechanism stems from Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 804, approved on June 17, 2026 and published on June 24. The measure provides six months to complete integration, testing and validation, setting a deadline of December 24, 2026. The automatic block will begin once PlayCity and the Ministry of Defence technically certify interoperability and publish the corresponding act.
Yevhenii Khmara
When a user attempts to register or access a licensed platform, the operator will first query the gambling restriction register. If no prior exclusion is found, the system will automatically verify the military personnel register. The casino will not receive information identifying the player as a member of the military or revealing the specific reason for the restriction; it will only receive a response allowing or denying access.
The military gambling ban did not originate in 2026. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 234/2024 on April 20, 2024, bringing into force a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council to restrict military personnel from accessing gambling venues and online gambling during martial law. Law No. 4116-IX, adopted on December 4, 2024 and effective from April 1, 2025, consolidated the reform, dismantled the former regulator KRAIL and paved the way for PlayCity.
The agency is headed by Oleksii Tomashuk, with Yuliia Zaichenko serving as First Deputy Head. PlayCity had more than 16,000 people under gambling restrictions by April 2026 and had referred 6,668 illegal gambling websites for blocking in 2026 as of July 20, combining player protection, digital enforcement and national security within the same regulatory architecture.
