PlayCity Advances System to Block Ukrainian Military from Regulated Gambling

PlayCity has initiated a tender for a critical software module designed to prevent Ukrainian military personnel from accessing regulated gambling. This development, mandated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine's Resolution No. 804 dated 17 June 2026, aims to establish automated, secure communication between the Register of Persons with Restricted Access to Gambling and the State Register of Military Personnel by December 2026.

PlayCity's Software Tender and Regulatory Drivers

PlayCity, a licensed gambling operator in Ukraine, issued a tender for the creation of a software module enabling automated information exchange between key state registers. The module will connect the Register of Persons with Restricted Access to Gambling with the State Register of Military Personnel, both overseen by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This technical requirement forms part of the regulatory compliance process following Resolution No. 804, which sets a six-month deadline from the resolution's publication on 24 June 2026 for full implementation and testing of the registry interaction. The mandated exchange will occur via the Trembit system, a state-approved digital interface for secure data interchange within Ukrainian government infrastructure.

Timeline and Testing Requirements

The regulation outlines a precise implementation window:

• June 24, 2026: Official publication of Resolution No. 804, starting the compliance clock.
• December 24, 2026: Deadline for PlayCity and the Ministry of Defense to complete development, integration, and functional testing of the software module.
• After successful testing and verification, PlayCity and the Ministry of Defense will document the results in an official act, to be published on PlayCity's official website. Once the act is published, the automatic exclusion mechanism will be activated.

How the Block on Military Personnel Works

The verification mechanism leverages state digital infrastructure to automate checks on player eligibility during both registration and login on regulated platforms. The process is as follows:

1. When a player attempts to register or log into a gambling service, the operator queries the Register of Persons with Restricted Access to Gambling.
2. If no restriction is found, the system prompts an additional automatic check against the State Register of Military Personnel.
3. Where the cross-check identifies valid grounds to restrict access, the player is blocked from participating in gambling.
4. Importantly, the gambling operator is only informed of the result—whether a restriction exists or not—without receiving details about the player's military status or which registry triggered the block.

This method supports compliance while addressing privacy concerns, as gambling organisers never access sensitive data beyond the restricted/not-restricted binary result.

Legal Context: Resolution No. 804 and Sector Compliance

Resolution No. 804, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 17 June 2026, establishes a clear regulatory obligation for all licensed gambling operators in Ukraine to participate in coordinated registry checks targeting military personnel. The six-month period for technical implementation and integration, capped at 24 December 2026, reflects the government's timeline for sector-wide enforcement.

The Ministry of Defense is tasked with maintaining the updated State Register of Military Personnel, while PlayCity is responsible for ensuring the registry linkage and publishing the results of the integration phase. Only after these stages, and the formal publication of the act certifying system correctness, will the automated blocking become operational for Ukrainian operators.

Data Privacy and Non-disclosure Protocols

The outlined process deliberately limits exposure of protected information. At no stage does the request to the state registers disclose a player’s military status or the direct source of the restriction to the gambling operator. This approach is designed to maintain compliance not just with gambling law, but with broader Ukrainian data privacy requirements. Operators will see only a pass/fail result per user, aligning with best practices for digital privacy in regulated gaming environments.

Parallel Exclusion Mechanisms for Ukrainian Citizens

While the automatic system specifically targeting military personnel is still in its implementation and testing window, Ukraine continues to apply alternative exclusion mechanisms. These tools, operational prior to the new protocol, are available to all citizens—regardless of military status—and can be accessed by those seeking self-exclusion or protective listing. The evolving regulatory landscape means that both operator and citizen obligations remain dynamic, and suppliers seeking to partner with Ukrainian licensees should track ongoing regulatory developments.

The technical integration between these two state registers is a concrete step in addressing the risks associated with gambling by service members, without compromising confidentiality. — PlayCity spokesperson