The Verkhovna Rada approved improvements to control the organization and conduct of gambling and lotteries

The Tax Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has recommended the adoption in the second reading and as a whole of Draft Law No. 9256-d on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine in order to combat gambling addiction (ludomania) and improve state regulation of activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling and lotteries.

The draft law was significantly revised by the Committee for the second reading, in particular, the proposals and amendments taken into account by the Committee provide for:

♦ liquidation of the CRAIL and distribution of its powers between the relevant ministry and a newly created body without collegial status

♦ a ban on gambling advertising, except for a limited list of permitted methods, and a ban on sponsorship, except for sports sponsorship;

♦ modernization of the tools of state supervision over the gambling market - controlled play is introduced as a control tool to replace actual inspections;

♦ introduction of effective measures to combat gambling addiction, blocking illegal websites, toughening requirements for organizers and adding grounds for license revocation;

♦ establishing a requirement for gambling organizers to make all non-cash payments exclusively through banks, improving requirements for the State Automated Data System, etc;

♦ improving the legislation on state lotteries, in particular, establishing similar requirements for the ownership structure, criteria of impeccable business reputation, grounds for license revocation, brand requirements, as well as requirements for payments in state lotteries as for gambling organizers;

♦ amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of the Interests of Entities Submitting Reports and Other Documents during Martial Law or a State of War" to resume reporting by gambling organizers and state lottery operators, etc.