In Ukraine and the Chairman for the Ukraine Gambling Council trade group has reportedly revealed that the eastern European nation is continuing to work towards ensuring the existence of a regulated gambling market despite the ongoing impacts of the Russian invasion.
According to a Monday report from a source, Anton Kuchukhidze (pictured) also revealed that his group remains committed to helping Ukraine restore an active iGaming and land-based casino market. The experienced advocate purportedly went on to explain that this comes even as large parts of the country are being occupied by Russian troops with the over five-month conflict showing no signs of abating any time soon.
Lively push:
Kuchukhidze reportedly disclosed that Ukraine’s Gambling and Lotteries Regulation Commission watchdog has recently resumed its regulatory duties notwithstanding the ever-present threat posed by Russian rockets and bombs. The figure furthermore noted that this state of affairs has been made even more difficult by the fact that large swathes of the giant country’s east and south remain under the direct control of Moscow.
Reportedly read a statement from Kuchukhidze…
“In the west of Ukraine, the situation is better with both casinos and slot machine halls functioning. But, the flow of tourists has fallen and according to the law casinos and slot machines can only be located in hotels. We recognize that because of the war not many tourists are ready to visit us and therefore the number of visitors to gambling halls has also decreased significantly.”
Undesirable headache:
Nevertheless, the source reported that Kuchukhidze is optimistic about the future prospects of Ukraine’s iGaming and land-based casino scene and described the Gambling and Lotteries Regulation Commission as having ‘retained its role as a bridge between businesses and the state’. This positivity purportedly comes even as the regulator disbanded its Advisory and Expert Council consultatory body amid rumors of alleged ‘close ties’ between this guide’s leader, Boris Baum, and the online sportsbetting domain at 1XBet.com.
Kuchukhidze reportedly stated…
“The Advisory and Expert Council has not met since August of last year and had not generated any decisions. Therefore, I understand the decision was that the Advisory and Expert Council was no longer required. There is nothing unusual in this considering that this is a norm of the law and I am sure that there will be a new council formed encompassing people who will be able to fulfil the provisions on the functioning of this body.”
Praiseworthy plan:
Despite all of this and Kuchukhidze reportedly divulged that his body intends to work with the Gambling and Lotteries Regulation Commission to help implement a range of market reforms that were agreed in 2021 well before Russia embarked on its invasion of Ukraine. The figure purportedly stressed that this latter country’s information technology sector will additionally play an important role in helping the local economy to quickly recover once hostilities have ceased.
The statement from Kuchukhidze reportedly read…
“I want to pay tribute to the Gambling and Lotteries Regulation Commission, which did not stop working for a single day and was always in touch with our members. I believe that there is no more critical moment than a war to test the true desires of the marketplace and in this critical moment both sides proved that reform must take place.”