Expert: “Illegal casinos are the main threat to the legal gambling business in Ukraine

The Ukrainian authorities continue to actively combat the shady gambling organizers. Illegal establishments bear a lot of negative consequences for every citizen of the state. This is the opinion of the head of the Ukrainian Gambling Council Anton Kuchukhidze.

According to the expert the new Government headed by President Vladimir Zelensky has launched a large scale campaign against illegal gambling business for one thing, to improve the image of Ukraine on the international arena and provide the inflow of foreign capital into the state budget from legal operators.

“The shadow sector is a real threat to our society. It prevents the development of a full-fledged sphere of gambling services. I can confirm that in Ukraine since 2019 the number of illegal gambling establishments has noticeably decreased. You do not need to be a professional or an expert to see this. However, the black market continues to exist, this cannot be denied,” said Anton Kuchukhidze.

According to the functionary, now the Gambling and Lottery Regulatory Commission (GRAIL) is actively cooperating with law enforcement agencies to jointly combat the illegal gambling business.

“Of course, it is not yet possible to stop the activities of all, but the pressure on the shadow market is enormous. Today such operators can not safely operate within the local jurisdiction, as the authorities have taken to bring order in this industry,” the expert added.

Kuchukhidze is sure that the problem of illegal gambling business in Ukraine can be solved in two ways. The first is to establish an effective system of market monitoring, which will be based on honest work of law enforcement agencies and the police. The second is a direct communication between legal operators and the authorities. According to him, the first can have reliable information on the location of illegal gambling establishments and the second has all the necessary tools to combat such companies.

Recall that the new rules of gambling business in Ukraine limit operators’ bonus campaigns.