Ukrainian Gambling Laws at Mercy of Strong Men

While the strong men in the former Soviet Union countries can affect any laws, it was no surprise when Putin made gambling illegal around Moscow under Russian gambling laws some time ago. This, as expected, led to proliferation of underground mafia-run gambling outlets.

Now, as gambling news has found out, the strong men in Ukraine can do pretty much the same. First, Ukraine banned gambling and casinos in the country in 2009. This month, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law limiting the civil rights for drug addicts and alcoholics who, despite prohibition, still gamble.

If, under the new law, the gamblers sober up, their civil rights may be restored. The law passed easily with 340 out of 413 lawmakers favoring it.

Moreover, the new law defines a term of an ”gambling abuser.” It is the person who spends most of income on gambling, while endangering his or her family’s financial well-being. The law goes as far as to prevent the problem gamblers from the access to their properties. This civil rights limitation shocks even Moscow lawmakers.

Meanwhile, some other legislators are proposing the change to 2009 law banning casinos, stating that, as in many other countries, this leads to underground casino revenues, while depriving the state of gambling taxes. It’s been estimated that as many as 20% of adult Ukrainians frequently gamble, including mobile betting, while spending $2 billion annually.

Once the strong men can change the law, casinos will return to Ukraine for a nice chunk of gambling change.