Three Bills came under scrutiny at the meeting. These lay down the legal, organisational and other aspects of State regulation of business related to organisation and control of gambling.
The Bill ‘On Gambling and Gaming´ (Reg.No.1016) states that ‘Gambling and Gaming´ embraces bets made at Totalizators and in Bookmakers´ offices, other bets, games using gambling equipment or devices, including roulette wheels, computers, and other games run for money and at the contestants´ own risk , with the primary aim of winning an additional material value, with an uncertain outcome´. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine is defined as a specially authorised Executive body in the field of organisation and operating of Gaming and Gambling.
The Sponsor of the Bill, People´s Deputy, H. Smitiukh, suggests that the Gaming is restricted to specially defined territories within Ukraine. Such territories, whose number shall not exceed four, are to be defined by the Cabinet of Ministers. This activity will only be granted to legal business entities, whose authorised capital is formed exclusively by financial sums to an amount of at least Euro 1,500,000 according to the exchange rate established by The National Bank of Ukraine.
The Bill ‘On Legal Regulation of Organisation and Operation of Gambling/Gaming within Ukraine´ (Regna. 1016-1) also proposes to limit gambling to a territory of four specially created areas.
The Sponsor of this Bill, People´s Deputy, V. Pysarenko, believes that ‘this will allow for the establishment of an efficient control, enhance monitoring of tax payments, and will dramatically decrease the negative social impact due to the easy accessibility and wide distribution of gambling establishments´.
The Bill ‘On State Regulation of the Gambling and Gaming Business´ (Reg.No.1016-2) included definitions of basic gambling business terms. It sets out the tasks and authorities of State bodies in regulating the Gambling business.
The Bill tightens the requirements to Gambling organisers. Their authorised capital or the amount of net assets shall be at least Euro 200,000 and shall be defined for each specific type of gambling concern.
The Sponsors of this Bill, People´s Deputies, O.Bilozir, I.Herashchenko, O.Kondratiuk and K. Vashchuk, suggest that the placement of casinos and slot machine rooms within localities in Ukraine is banned. Provisions regulating virtual gambling in gaming establishments are an innovation in Ukrainian legislation. The Bill defines the payment for running such a business, and specifies certain requirements for the special-purpose software used.
The People´s Deputies upheld the idea of passing a Bill regulating gambling, and stressed the need to fill the State Budget of Ukraine, protect the public from abuse and fraud, and prevent money laundering through the business at issue.
At the same time they noted that not one of the Bills tabled tackles this matter in an integrated manner.
The outcome of the Meeting resulted in a decision recommending that Parliament remits these Bills for a repeated first reading, commissioning the Committee to draft a cohesive document. The Committee also resolved to set up a Task Force to prepare a consolidated Bill, with involvement of legislative initiators, together with representatives of the Executive Authorities and the Gambling business.