EXPERTS Ukraine closes illegal gambling houses 3 years ago Samuel Post Views: 470 Before beginning to build a house on a raw piece of land, you first have to clear out the weeds and overgrowth that would otherwise prevent the construction of a solid, well-built home. Ukraine is at that stage now, contemplating the building of a new legalized gambling industry. While the talk often sees setbacks as a consensus on the subject can’t be found, illegal gambling has flourished across the country and law enforcement officials are working diligently to control the surge. According to a report by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, over 900 illegal gambling facilities have been shut down in just a little more than a month. Ukraine lawmakers tried to pass a legalized gambling bill last month before it was axed. The idea was to allow the country’s more than 5,300 illegal gambling halls to apply for licenses, but resistance to the idea was strong and the bill was scrapped. At the same time, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered that the illegal facilities be closed. There are reportedly a great number of law enforcement investigative teams scouring the country for illegal gambling, ready to pounce on any that are found. The battle has been complicated as those venues moved further underground, masquerading as internet cafés or karaoke bars. According to Alexander Okolit, Head of the Strategic Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine: “There are currently 715 mobile teams in the staff of the Investigative Unit and the Strategic Investigation Department. Mobile groups are constantly monitoring, as well as preventative measures to prevent illegal gambling. In total, there are about 5,300 illegal gambling establishments in the state, including lotteries, which have lost the opportunity to work in the legal field since the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers. It’s also about bookmakers, casinos and other gambling establishments.” As other countries have already realized, the easiest way to help eliminate the vast network of underground illegal gambling spots is to legalize the activity. This is not just the only way to protect consumers, but it means the state can capture a huge amount of tax revenue. In the case of Ukraine, that amount is estimated to be around $190 million this year, according to the head of parliament’s committee on finance, taxation and customs policy, Danylo Hetmantsev. The Economic Development and Trade Ministry adds that around 33% of the country’s gross domestic product is off the books. Given that Ukraine’s economic output in 2019 was about $155 billion, there’s a lot of unclaimed revenue the country is missing. Source: calvinayre.com About Post Author Samuel I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. See author's posts SamuelI am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: new gambling law, Ukraine Continue Reading Previous Summary of the 2019 Game Year in AfricaNext Gambling On Credit Cards To Be Banned More Stories EXPERTS HOT NEWS 5 key challenges of doing business in Africa 15 hours ago Samuel EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA BMM South Africa gets licensed to provide compliance testing services in Tanzania 5 days ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS WORLD NEWS WhatsApp allows people to sneak out of group chats 5 days ago Samuel EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA GLI Africa expands service offering 5 days ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA Poor tax policy erodes Kenya’s investor attractiveness – survey 6 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS WORLD NEWS Answers to the iGaming industry’s most pressing questions 7 days ago Samuel EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA Illegal slots seized, destroyed in raids 7 days ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS NIGERIA SBWA + 2022 Summit this week in Nigeria 2 weeks ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS NIGERIA Money laundering: ECOWAS agency fingers Nigerian casinos 2 weeks ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS KENYA Kenya launches AML probe focusing on betting operations 2 weeks ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS KENYA Digital scams have hit Kenya’s gambling and travel industry 3 weeks ago Samuel EXPERTS WORLD NEWS Slotegrator reviews the worldwide trend of gambling legalization 3 weeks ago Iwo Bulski Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.