Mykhailo Zborovskyi: Why more and more people are voluntarily banning themselves from gambling

In 2019, Sweden opened its online gambling market to private operators. Along with the new licenses came a simple state-run service with a name that speaks for itself: Spelpaus (meaning gambling pause). About 20,000 people used it in the first year; today, that figure exceeds 136,000.

This is the story of how people gained access to a simple control tool and began using it, .

What is a national self-exclusion system?

In short, it is a single button that works across the entire market.

A person visits the website, verifies their identity using an electronic signature, selects a duration, and all operators licensed in the country are required to block their access to gambling. There is no need to contact each app individually or remember where an account was originally opened. All licensed operators are connected to the shared system and are required to check every player upon registration, at login, and even before sending promotional materials.

Such systems operate in many European countries. Sweden is one of the clearest examples because the service was part of the new regulatory model from the very beginning.

• 20,000 people used Spelpaus in its launch year, 2019;
• 104,000 in early 2024;
• 134,484 by the end of 2025.

That is nearly a sevenfold increase over seven years. Yet, the market itself is not shrinking. In 2025, Sweden’s licensed market grew to a record 28.2 billion kronor. In other words, the number of people setting a “stop” for themselves is rising not because the market is collapsing, but because the tool has become a familiar part of the landscape. 

Who hits stop?

As of the end of 2025, approximately 101,800 men and 32,700 women had used . Men still make up the majority, but the proportion of women is gradually increasing.

Most importantly, the statistics reveal that people do not use this button solely as a last resort. Many press it proactively to take a break, cool off, and reflect.

What about Ukraine?

Ukraine has its own equivalent: the Register of Persons Restricted from Access to Gambling Establishments and Participation in Gambling. It operates on the same principle: an individual submits a self-restriction request, and legal operators are required to prevent them from playing. The restriction applies to both land-based gambling venues and online platforms, lasting anywhere from six months to three years.

Interest in this tool is growing rapidly. In April 2023, the register listed only 687 people. By early 2025, that figure had reached approximately 12,800, with 99% of the entries made at the individuals’ own request.

The register is managed by the state agency PlayCity. According to its data, over 3,000 people were added to the register in the first four months of 2026; the agency processes about a thousand applications per month, and the total number of registered individuals now exceeds 16,000. Entries are processed within one business day.

Why this matters for the entire industry

A rise in self-exclusions is often portrayed as a warning sign. However, there is another perspective.

Such systems demonstrate that a regulated market provides people with a tangible tool for control, and that people are actually using it. This model works only where operators are licensed and required to connect to a centralized system. Outside the legal market, no such “button” exists: there, no one is required to verify or restrict anything.

Consequently, discussions on responsible gaming are increasingly focusing not on bans, but on the quality of regulation, specifically, how easy it is to set a limit, how quickly it takes effect, and how reliably it operates across the entire market.

Three questions for the strategist

Mykhailo Zborovskyi, an iGaming strategic development expert, suggests viewing any responsible gaming tool not as a mandatory formality, but as an integral part of the product. His approach involves evaluating each tool against three questions:

• How many steps must the user take?
• Does it work across the entire market or only with a single operator?
• Is the tool suitable for a diverse range of people?

From this perspective, a rise in self-exclusions is not so much an alarming signal as an indication that the system is functioning as intended. Users have a choice, and they are exercising it.

In brief

• National self-exclusion systems allow users to block their access to all legal operators in the country with a single request.
• In Sweden, the Spelpaus service is used by over 136,000 people—nearly seven times the number recorded in its launch year.
• An increasing number of people are using these services as a preventive measure, while regulators are introducing shorter pause options.
• In Ukraine, the self-restriction registry has grown from a few hundred to over 16,000 users in three years and is transitioning to the Diia.Engine platform.
• Such tools function only within regulated markets, where all operators are required to integrate them.

If you feel that gaming is no longer just entertainment, do not delay taking action. Use self-restriction tools or seek professional help.