PlayCity moves to block military personnel from gambling

In Ukraine, the gambling regulator PlayCity has started the process of tendering for the creation of a software module to bar military personnel from availing themselves of gambling activities. This move is in line with the government initiative to limit the gambling activities among military personnel. The government is concerned about the possibility of gambling issues jeopardizing the readiness of military troops and exposing them to blackmail and other security threats. Once registered, the player’s identification details will be processed automatically in the system which checks them against the Register of Persons Restrained from Access to Gambling. If the person is confirmed as a military personnel, access to any licensed gaming operator or site will be blocked. According to the current plans of Ministry of Defense, the software will be put in use immediately after it is developed. The deadline to use this service was set at December 24, 2026. The newly developed system is going to work together with the currently introduced responsible gaming measures that help to either exclude gambling or restrict the access to such activities as specified in the national register. Yet, the government has to deal with the issue of illegal gambling existing in Ukraine and enforcement against offshore and illegal operators remains a separate challenge.