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Ukraine has approved its first nationwide strategy to confront gambling addiction, marking a major shift in how the state addresses the issue.
The plan, adopted on August 28, 2026, is designed to run until 2035 and aims to treat gambling harm not as an individual problem but as a broader social challenge. Officials said the new approach builds on earlier reforms that introduced responsible gambling rules, stricter advertising limits, and tougher oversight of legal operators.
But this strategy goes further, bringing together health care, education, social services, law enforcement, and defense institutions under one coordinated system.
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Natalia Denikeieva explained the reasoning, “For a long time, gambling addiction was perceived as a personal problem of a person. But its consequences are much broader: destroyed families, financial difficulties, job loss, mental health problems, and, in wartime, risks to national security.”
She added that the state is now tackling the issue “comprehensively through not only market regulation, but also prevention, assistance to people and interagency cooperation.”
A coordinated effort across sectors
The plan sets out a wide range of measures to reduce gambling harm. Schools will introduce lessons and campaigns to raise awareness of risks, while screenings and early detection tools will help identify addiction sooner.
Treatment and rehabilitation services will expand, with tailored programs for military personnel and veterans. At the same time, authorities will step up efforts to block illegal gambling sites and advertising, and crack down on crime linked to the industry.
The government has made clear that about 40 institutions will be involved, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and others.
