During the war in Ukraine, the number of registered gambling addicts has increased almost 20 times

During the war in Ukraine, the number of officially registered gambling addicts, individuals dependent on gambling, has increased nearly 20 times. In 2021, there were 195, in 2022 – 450, and in 2023 – already 3700.

This information reported according to data provided by the Opendatabot portal.

Currently, Ukraine operates a registry of gambling addicts – individuals with restricted access to gambling establishments and participation in gambling. According to the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL), over the three years of its existence, 3871 individuals have been included in the registry. The overwhelming majority of them – 87% – were added to the list in 2023.

In the past year, the number of gambling addicts in the registry has increased eightfold. However, over the past two years, 171 individuals have been removed from the registry due to the expiration of restrictions. Of these, 60 were removed in 2022, and another 111 were removed last year.

99% of individuals voluntarily entered the registry through self-restriction. Only 1% of gambling addicts were included in the registry by decision of KRAIL. At the same time, no individual has been included in the registry by court decision.

Ukrainians can end up in the registry of gambling addicts in three ways: by voluntarily submitting an application for self-restriction, by decision of KRAIL based on a restriction request from relatives, and by court decision. However, there is no exact statistics in Ukraine regarding the actual number of citizens with gambling addiction, and the numbers from the registry do not reflect the full picture.

For gambling addicts in Ukraine, only temporary bans on visiting gambling establishments are provided – for a period ranging from six months to three years. After the expiration of these restrictions, their effect automatically ceases.

In December 2023, a law was passed prohibiting the issuance of loans to individuals included in the registry of gambling addicts. However, this restriction applies only if the individual used credit funds for gambling.