For implementing the Presidential Decree No. 713/2019 of 20.09.2019 on legalization of gambling business in Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine drafted the Law of Ukraine “On the State regulation of the activity in the field of organization and conduct of gambling”.
On 17.10.2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine registered the draft law in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine under No. 2285.
On 23.10.2019, the text of the draft law was submitted to the Parliamentary committees for its consideration and was published on the Parliament’s website. On 30.10.2019, the Committee on finance, tax and customs policy was designated as the main committee for consideration of the draft law (instead of the Committee on economic development). Other Parliamentary committees will also be involved in the drafting of the bill:
- Committee on law enforcement
- Committee on economic development
- Committee on humanitarian and information policy
- Committee on digital transformation
- Committee on youth and sports
- Committee on legal policy
- Budget committee
- Committee on anti-corruption policy
- Committee on integration of Ukraine with the European Union.
According to the Rules of procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the draft law is being prepared for adoption in the first reading. A special working group has been set up in the Parliament for elaboration of the draft law, which includes MPs and some experts in the field of gambling regulation.
On 29.10.2019, the Main scientific and expert department of the Office of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine provided its expert opinion on the draft law, in which it proposed that following the results of consideration in the first reading, the draft law should be forwarded for further elaboration.
On 05.11.2019 MP O.Marusiak registered an alternative draft law No. 2285-1, and on 6-7.11.2019 other MPs submitted another 6 alternative draft gambling laws (No. 2285-2 – 2285-7).
On 12.11.2019, all the draft laws (both governmental and alternative ones) were included in the agenda of the current session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The draft Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2020”, adopted on 14.11.2019, set forth plans of the Ukrainian Government to get UAH 3 billion of revenues from the gambling licenses in 2020.
It is projected that the Parliament will approve the draft law in the second reading and in whole in December 2019.