The number of people in the register tripled over the past year

12,807 Ukrainians are currently listed in the Gambling Addicts Register. Over the past year, the list tripled in size. In 2024 alone, 9,389 people were added, while 1,496 were removed after their restriction period ended.

Since the creation of the Register, a total of 14,979 people have been added, and 2,172 of them have already been removed.

99% of all entries in the Register are based on voluntary requests. People apply for self-exclusion to block their access to gambling venues and participation in gambling for a certain period. This restriction lasts from six months to three years.

Only 1% were added by decision of KRAIL. Since the Register was created, 169 such decisions have been made — almost all of them (140) were in the last year. As of now, no one has been added to the Register by court decision.

«It’s really easier to submit a self-exclusion request than to add another person to the Register. Plus, more people are becoming aware of this option. As a result, the number of people in the Register is growing. So our goal is to provide people with the most convenient tool for self-exclusion and encourage them to use it»

— said Hennadii Novikov, head of the state agency PlayCity.

This year, the Cabinet of Ministers shut down KRAIL and created a new state agency called PlayCity. From now on, this agency will be responsible for regulating the gambling and lottery market, as well as managing the Register of gambling addicts.

On average, 780 people were added to the Register every month last year — that’s 2.8 times more than in 2023, when around 280 people joined the list monthly. The highest number of self-exclusion requests came in April — 1,041, and the lowest in June — 524.

In the first two months of 2025, 1,719 people have already been added to the Register — about 860 per month, which is 10% more than in 2024.

It’s important to note that Ukraine still doesn’t have clear statistics on the actual number of people struggling with gambling addiction. The data in the Register does not show the full picture — especially when it comes to online gambling.

Hennadii Novikov, the head of the new agency, believes that the current Register is doing its job — it collects information about people who are banned from gambling so that operators can check and block them if needed. At the same time, he says the system is still in test mode and lacks many features that would make it more convenient for both citizens and the industry.

«Our plan is to create a full-featured system on the Diia.Engine platform. The new Register will meet all legal requirements for protecting personal data and other aspects. It will also include extra tools for gambling operators. The process of adding someone to the Register will be automated and much easier. A person will be able to add themselves with just a few clicks to block their access to gambling»,

— said Hennadii Novikov, head of PlayCity.