Five gambling sector companies secured deferments for 58 employees

Large-scale deferments in the gambling industry

An investigation by journalists revealed that five companies whose activities are linked to the gambling business obtained permission for deferments for 58 employees. These enterprises specialise in developing software for online casinos, social games, and providing services in the field of gambling entertainment.

Scandal surrounding "Favbet Tek"

One of the most notable examples is Favbet Tek LLC (Favbet), which later changed its name to "Highload Solutions". According to hromadske, the company develops software for Favbet and remains linked to the brand's corporate group. In March 2022, it obtained Diia.City resident status.

In April 2024, the enterprise secured deferments for 15 employees. This information became known after People's Deputy Oleksandr Fediienko published an order from the Ministry of Economy. The decision sparked a resonance: the public asked why the right to a deferment was granted to companies in the gambling sector.

At the time, Favbet explained that the company is a component of the "Ukrainian cyber army". Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov justified the need for deferments by the necessity to retain highly qualified IT specialists.

Then-Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the cancellation of the order regarding deferments for employees of companies that raised public concerns, in order to prevent further division. However, according to hromadske, the story did not end there. From July 2024 to August 2025, another 20 employees of "Favbet Tek" received deferments. This means that after the loud scandal, the company again found itself among the enterprises whose staff received deferments from mobilisation. Although this is not direct evidence of a legal violation, it raises questions about the criteria used to assess its criticality.

Other companies in the gambling sector

The list examined by hromadske also includes Billtech Games LLC and Kompiuternyi Servis LLC. Both companies are linked to providing services in the gambling industry and hold Diia.City resident status.

"Billtech Games" became a resident in October 2023. According to journalists, during the period from July 2024 to August 2025, the company secured deferments for ten employees. Hromadske identifies its owner as Andrii Rutkovskyi, a former patrol police officer in Vinnytsia Oblast. He did not respond to journalists' calls.

Kompiuternyi Servis LLC obtained Diia.City resident status in July 2023. According to hromadske, from August 2024 to August 2025, seven of its employees had deferments. Company representatives confirmed to journalists that the deferred employees are currently on the payroll.

Social casinos and conclusions

Two other companies – Product Madness Ukraine and Playtika Ukraine – operate in the segment of so-called social casinos. These are games with virtual coins or chips that cannot be withdrawn as real money. However, users may be offered the purchase of additional gaming resources or opportunities. According to hromadske, these companies together secured deferments for 21 employees during the period from January 2024 to August 2025.

Thus, in just these five companies linked to the gambling sector, journalists recorded 58 employees who received deferments during the researched periods.