Since International Women’s Day many gambling establishments have attempted to re-open and have come foul to Ukrainian gambling law. This article explores the latest KRAIL (Ukraine Gaming Regulator) legislation with respect to gaming equipment licenses.
Many businesses after a long wait, finally received licenses: “to organize and conduct gambling in casino gambling establishments”; “to carry out activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling in casino gambling establishments”; “licenses for organizing and conducting gambling in slot machine halls”; “to carry out all types gambling activities” or just permissions to use their establishment for gaming activities.
Casino Life Ukraine team congratulates the following companies in receiving their licenses:
- 11.03.2021 on issuing a license to “Primum” limited liability company, to organize and conduct gambling in casino gambling establishments (Kyiv, Odesa)
- 11.03.2021 on issuing a license to the limited liability company "Nebula games" to carry out activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling in casino gambling establishments (Kyiv, L`viv)
- 11.03.2021 for the limited liability company "FKM-4" (Kharkiv)
organizers of gambling in casino gambling establishments
- 26.03.2021 for the private enterprise "Campus plus" (Poltava)
- 26.03.2021 for the limited liability company "ASTOV" (Kyiv)
- 26.03.2021 Zvereva Antonina Ivanivna, Rozhkova Svetlana Anatoliivna and LIMARENKO Viktor Viktorovich (Kharkiv)
- 26.03.2021 for the limited liability company "Corvette-Center" (Kyiv)
- 30.03.2021 on issuing a license to the limited liability company "Gamedev" (Kyiv, Zaporizhzha) to carry out activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling in the halls of slot machines
- 02.04.2021 on issuing a license to the "Lord gambling club” limited liability company "to carry out activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling in the halls of slot machines” (Kyiv)
- 02.04.2021 ZELDINA Ol`ga Oleksandrivna (Dnipro).
- 05.04.2021 LLC Billionare Casino Company received first license to open casino in Kyiv in InterContinental hotel (total area will take over 500 sq.м).
A number of applications were rejected outright as the premises did not meet the required standard and numerous were not successful due to a lack of essential documents.
On the 11th March Ukrainian government published clarification regarding the misunderstanding of Ukrainian laws & given permissions to carry services for on-line casino by gambling provider Parimatch.
It clarifying that “decisions No.48 of 10.02.2021 and No.84 of 02.03.2021 adopted by KRAIL to issue a license to Parimatch LLC for organizing and conducting casino gambling on the Internet and in betting activities. Parimatch LLC provided documents and received license as company which operates own services on the Internet through the website www.pm.ua, and their domain name is located in the UA domain zone”.
Ukrainian government informs that all activities should be provided according to Part 1 of Article 24 of Ukrainian law "On state regulation of the organization and conduct of gambling" and only after obtaining the correct licenses can gambling activities be carried out, however many other activities are not permitted by this law. Therefore services carried out on the Internet at the following addresses: www.parimatch.com, www.en.parimatch.com/ru/casino/slots or another address, under the Parimatch brand, are considered as being illegal to provide in Ukraine.
The law of Ukraine also prohibits the distribution, access, offer to download or otherwise distribute in Ukraine websites, mobile applications and/or other gambling equipment for participation in gambling. If such websites, mobile applications and/or other gambling equipment provides access to servers or databases of persons who are not the organizers of gambling, then this law is being broken.
Other news reported from the government site on 23rd March was about companies who started gambling activities without receiving their licenses. Since the beginning of March, the Security Service of Ukraine together with KRAIL has blocked the activities of more than 30 illegal gambling establishments and two casinos in following ten regions: Kiev, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskiy, Cherkasy and Chernihiv. During the investigation, Security service officers seized: more than 600 pieces of computer equipment; 14 poker tables; 5 roulettes; playing chips, cards, accessories for card games, cash, mobile phones of gambling establishment staff; draft records with customer databases, video recorders. The issue of seized property and declaring suspicion to the persons involved is being resolved.
The General Directorate for combating corruption and organized crime of the Security service of Ukraine, together with the Security service regional bodies, is conducting systematic work to counteract the work of illegal gambling, which is carried out without the appropriate licenses of the KRAIL.
The question is, is it worth the risk to lose expensive equipment, trained personnel, reputation, and incur further financial loses or is it better to apply for the appropriate licenses? Knowing there will be a delay, that time could be used to finish all preparation work and ensure you are the first on the market to open fully, with the most exciting services, and will have a greater chance of becoming the market leader in your area.
10.04.2021 The commission for regulation of gambling and lotteries informs about the entry into force on 09.04.2021 (Official Gazette of Ukraine No. 27 09.04.2021) of the decision of the commission for regulation of gambling and lotteries of 01.04.2021 No. 128 "on approval of the list of gambling equipment subject to certification", registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 06.04.2021 for No. 453/36075.
According to the Krail decision mandatory certification is subject to:
- Slot machines;
- Gaming tables, including those with a roulette ring;
- Online gambling organizer system;
- Shuffle machines (card shuffling machines).
I hope next month there is a brighter future, as more organisation overcome barriers and finally open up for business.
Editor Casino Life Ukraine, L.Kyrychenko and Publication Director Casino Life Ukraine A.Guney
