In a recent move to strengthen gambling regulations in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed support for a petition filed by the military. Thus, highlighting the growing concern over the dependence on gambling among the country’s military forces.
The new regulations, signed into law by Zelenskyy, prohibit military personnel from participating in gambling. Furthermore, they impose additional restrictions on gambling advertising in the region.
The new set of rules introduces mandatory loss limits for Ukrainian players, along with increased health support for those suffering from excessive gambling.
Pavlo Petrychenk, a soldier from Ukraine’s 56th Brigade, said: “The soldiers have been separated from their families for three years, in stressful conditions and without the opportunity for adequate rest, making them especially vulnerable psychologically.”
“For many of them, gambling becomes the only way to deal with stress, quickly leading to dopamine dependence and compromising their self-control,” the soldier added.
Gambling ban in Ukraine
Banning betting during martial law for military personnel, both in physical establishments and online, is one of the main measures included in Zelenskyy’s decree. Additionally, gaming companies will be required to set time and spending limits for users.
“What a soldier earns in a year he can lose by gambling,” Petrychenk said in his last interview. Serving in the Army, he earns a high salary but asks his family to send him money, a worrying sign of compulsive behavior.
The presidential decree also includes measures aimed at restricting advertising by gambling companies.
