Draft Law of Ukraine

"On Lotteries and Other Gambling Games in Ukraine"

The draft is an alternative to draft law N 4204 introduced by People’s Deputies V.Sivkovych and H.Samofalov.

According to the draft, a gambling game is any chance game aimed at gaining the prize (winnings), provided the player has put in a stake for participation therein.

Lottery is a mass gambling game regardless of the name, conditions of which include drawing of prize fund between the players and winning is of a chance nature. The territory for drawing lotteries is not to be limited to one building, except for slot-machines united into a network, as well as totalizator units united into a network.

The draft law permits organizing and playing the following types of gambling games on the territory of Ukraine:

• bingo;
• tolalizator, cylindrical games, including roulette;
• cards;
• dice;
• slot-machines;
• state lottery.

It is prohibited to play or advertise in any way on Ukrainian territory gambling games organized abroad.

The state regulation in the field of gambling business shall be performed by:

• the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
• tax bodies;
• the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine (in the field of lotteries);
• a specially authorized body of executive power in the field of gambling games.

Financial transactions related to payment of prizes (winnings) are subject to obligatory internal financial monitoring.

State monopoly for drawing lotteries is to be introduced in Ukraine.

Distribution of state lotteries is to be performed by legal entities and natural persons on the basis of agreements with a Unified Operator of State lotteries. The Unified Operator of State Lotteries is to be determined through a tender by a tender commission, the composition of which should be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The Unified Operator of State Lotteries should be a joint stock company, where at least 25% of shares belong to the state.

According to the draft license is to be issued for the following types of activity:

• organization and playing of gambling games in casinos;
• book-making activity;
• organization and playing of gambling games in electronic (virtual) casinos;
• organization and playing of gambling games in slot-machines;
• organization and playing of other gambling games.

The draft also establishes responsibility for violations in the field of gambling business.