Brought out of the shadows: taxes on the gambling industry have increased 24-fold — Getmantsev
9 April 02:37
YOUTUBE
Ukraine has managed to significantly increase budget revenues from the gambling industry and the fuel market by cracking down on shadow schemes. Over the past two years, taxes on gambling have increased tenfold. This was stated in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian" by Danylo Getmantsev, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy.
“In 2022, the gambling market paid 730 million hryvnias in taxes, and in 2024—already 17.4 billion. This is the result of a systematic fight against the shadow economy,” he noted.
According to the MP, this effect was achieved thanks to tough measures against market participants operating in the shadow economy.
“We dismantled these schemes and compelled law enforcement agencies to halt illegal activities. Two banks had their licenses revoked, as did some operators. The market has changed,” he explained.
Similar changes, according to Getmantsev, have also taken place in the fuel market, where large-scale tax evasion schemes previously existed.
“There were networks that effectively paid no taxes. It reached the point of absurdity—the tax burden per liter of fuel was negative. We put a stop to that,” the deputy emphasized.
He added that after controls were tightened, major market players began operating legally.
“Today, major chains have abandoned these schemes and switched to a transparent operating model. This is a completely different situation, although there is still work to be done,” he noted.
Getmantsev stressed that de-shadowing directly impacts citizens’ well-being, as it involves resources for financing government expenditures.
“When a person does not receive a tax receipt, they are effectively giving part of their salary to the shadow economy. This is money that could go toward salaries for teachers and medical workers,” he concluded.
