Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has banned gambling in the country’s military on concerns that it’s sapping morale and posing a security risk in the fight against Russia’s invasion. The ban for soldiers includes betting in gambling establishments and on the internet while under martial law, says the govt decree. Ukraine’s cabinet will restrict advertising and ask Apple and Google to prohibit gambling game applications in their stores without an appropriate license.
The move follows a petition filed by Ukrainian serviceman Pavlo Petrychenko, who said some soldiers on the front line were spending their earnings on betting, taking out loans, and even pawning military equipment – such as drones and thermal cameras – to meet gambling debts.The govt plans to elaborate later on the curbs while the National Bank of Ukraine will work to block payments to gambling accounts online.