Ukraine citizens not in favour of gambling

A new survey shows that 58% of people in Ukraine are not in favour of the legalisation of gambling in the country.

Ukraine.- A new survey from Rating Group shows that 58% of Ukrainians are not in favour of legalising gambling in the country. This survey comes after the president urged legislators to approve legislation to make gambling legal.

The survey also shows that around 48% of the respondents would be okay with legalising classical numerical lotteries. Those operators are already taxed at 30% of their income and can work legally.

According to UNIAN, expert Ihor Halytsky said that the government is trying to restrict that modality while also promoting other forms of gambling. “Operators of numerical lotteries are already subject to 30% income tax, while they work legally and pay all taxes and fees,” he said.

Halytsky added: “At the same time, illegal sites are, in principle, prohibited by law, but they supposedly may operate throughout the transitional period, even more so, for a minimal fee.”

Gambling could add €170 million to the state budget

Olesky Honcharuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine, said that he expects the Parliament to support a bill that legalises gambling in Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is expecting approval in order to perceive higher revenues in the state budget.

During a briefing in which Honcharuk presented the draft state budget for 2020, he said that the industry would be taxed properly, Ukrinform reported. “We are looking forward to Parliament supporting the gambling bill, removing these vending machines from the streets, which will create so much misery for people and take money out of them. At the same time, we anticipate that a normal civilized gambling system, which will be taxed properly, will be created,” Honcharuk said.

The Prime Minister estimates that gambling could add €170 million to the state budget. The new estimations are way higher than what Honcharuk had predicted in the past. He had said that legalising gambling in Ukraine would result in additional €70 million – €88 million to the budget.