Gambling Industry

In 2009, a ban on gambling was introduced in Ukraine, but only some gambling establishments were closed. In addition, many casinos and slot machines continued to operate, outwardly disguised as national lotteries and computer clubs.

The sixth President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced his intention to partially legalise gambling. In particular, this concerns casinos operating in 5-star hotels.

On December 20, 2019, an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers addressed the fight against illegal gambling. Following the meeting, Prime Minister Honcharuk stated that illegal gambling had been put to an end. Later, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that all gambling establishments would be closed from 4 p.m. Law enforcement began fighting illegal gambling as early as the night of December 20 – the SBU busted 43 illegal establishments in 6 cities of Ukraine.