Over six months, gambling business paid three times more taxes to the budget than last year
5 July 2024 08:13
In the first half of 2024, the gambling business paid UAH 8.4 billion in taxes to the budget, which is almost 3 times more than in the same period of 2023. This was announced by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“At the same time, the income tax increased 7.3 times compared to the previous year, and the personal income tax – by 26.1% (by the way, such a discrepancy indicates that the tax on winnings needs to be worked on),”
– he said.
Hetmantsev also noted that in June, the industry paid 1.9 times more taxes compared to June last year.
Gambling business in Ukraine
The gambling business in Ukraine has a complicated history. Until 1989, gambling was banned in the USSR. After gaining independence, the legal gambling business began to develop in Ukraine: the first casino opened in Kyiv in early 1991. However, in 2009, a law was passed to completely ban gambling, which led to its criminalisation and the development of the illegal sector.
In August 2020, a law on the legalisation of gambling came into force, allowing offline and online gambling, betting, slot machine halls and poker. The Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) was established to oversee the industry. Despite the legalisation, problems remain: according to the expert, as of 2023, there were 14 legal and about 1,100 illegal casinos and betting companies in Ukraine. The authorities continue to fight the illegal sector by introducing new restrictions and sanctions against violators.
After the full-scale Russian invasion, the problem took on a new dimension. It is believed that there is a whole epidemic of gambling addiction among Ukrainian soldiers at the frontline. There is no concrete evidence of this, nor is there any systematic journalistic or scientific research, but after a series of petitions, President Zelensky signed a decree to restrict online gambling. Gambling advertising and sponsorship may also be banned in Ukraine.
