Ukrainian government to debate draft gambling regulations
New draft bill passed to parliament for discussion, with provisional 2020 startup date
The Ukrainian government will debate a draft regulatory bill which includes full online gambling and sports betting legalisation for the first time.
The bill was passed to the Ukrainian parliament for debate at the weekend, following months of preparation and scrutiny.
It includes the regulation and licensing of land-based and online casino gaming as well as land-based and online sports betting.
To qualify for a Ukrainian licence, firms must operate a Ukraine-based office and must have capital of at least €1m (UAH 30m), while individuals must also not hold current or former criminal convictions.
The number of sports betting and online licences will be limited to just ten, with operators being required to maintain financial guarantees.
Operators will be limited to one brand per licence, with all applicants required to submit the domain name of their intended internet site.
Separate licences will be available to operate online poker, however these will be limited to only five licences.
As confirmed to EGR earlier this month, online licences will be auctioned by the regulator in 2020, with the fee payable being the total amount paid by an operator on an ongoing basis quarterly.
Full taxation details have not been disclosed, with the Ukrainian government delegating the responsibility for setting taxation levels to the new regulator.
The bill establishes the first regulatory objectives for the market as well as providing for the creation of a regulatory entity and licensing process for Ukrainian operators.
Regulatory objectives include protection of public health, creating a uniform market, preventing fraud and ensuring operator compliance.
As part of this process, the regulator will maintain a list of authorised operators in all regulated activities, which will be available to access for free on a centralized website.
A state-owned 24-hour-a-day online monitoring system of operators is also included among the bills provisions.
Passage of the bill is expected to occur quickly, thanks in part to the strong majority of the ruling (Servant of the People) party, meaning the licensing process could begin as early as 2020.