The Ukraine government is actively seeking to pass new legislation permitting casinos in some form, only a year after implementing an indefinite ban on gaming properties.
Gaming establishments were banned by the country’s parliament in May last year following a fire at a slot hall in Dnipropetrovsk, which officials claimed demonstrated a reckless disregard for regulations. Although the initial ban was opposed by President Viktor Yushchenko, he eventually relented and signed it into law.
Just one year on, sources close to the process have revealed to InterGaming that the loss in tax revenues brought about by the ban is posing a dilemma for the government and, in an effort to address growing budget deficits, the authorities are now seeking to legalise gaming once more.
Aside from the loss in tax revenues, Ukraine’s gaming ban may have also played into the hands of neighbouring countries, whose casinos have been quick to capitalise on the opportunity to attract customers no longer able to play in either Ukraine or Russia.
