Casinos are opening at five-star hotels in cities with high tourist potential. The leader in the number of institutions is Kyiv, where it is planned to open 12 gaming points. The list of cities with the largest number of gambling establishments also includes Kharkiv (5 institutions), Lviv (3) and Odesa (3 institutions).
Now filed 257 applications for licenses for various types of gambling business (casinos, online casinos, gambling halls, betting shops, online poker, gambling services), as well as gaming tables and machines.
A record number of licenses for gaming equipment received a casino in the Odesa hotel Gagarinn, which plans to put more than 300 machines and gaming tables. In other cities the figures differ significantly — usually large casinos have a license for no more than 50-70 pieces of equipment.
To open a casino in Kyiv, you must purchase a license worth $13 million, which is issued for 5 years. In other cities, the same license will cost $6.5 million.
License for a hall of playing machines — now it is the most popular — costs $1.6 million. As in the casino, there also need to pay annually for each slot machine.
Casinos and slot halls often buy a license for betting activities. Permission to open a betting office costs $6.5 million. And the opening of each betting shop — $6500 annually.
License for online casinos will cost $1.4 million.
As of today, Ukraine has already issued licenses for:
- 9 casinos;
- 11 online casinos and 1 online poker;
- 37 gambling halls;
- 37 bookmaker's offices;
- 33 roulette tables;
- 60 card game tables;
- 1,097 slot machines.
On July 14, 2020, the government adopted draft law No. 2285d on state regulation of gambling business. The main provisions of the law are:
- The organizers of gambling games may be only Ukrainian companies, the main activity of which is the organization and conduct of gambling games. The amount of their authorized capital must be no less than $1 million.
- The casinos will appear in five-star hotels in Kyiv with a room stock of at least 200 rooms, in Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Lviv — with a room stock of at least 120 rooms, in hotels in other cities with a room stock of at least 100 rooms.
- The number of betting shops in Ukraine should not exceed 800. Having one license it will be possible to place 10 betting shops. The financial turnover will be "white". Cash registers are required to use PPO (cash registers).
- The maximum number of slot machines in Ukraine - 40 thousand pieces. On one license it is possible to place 250 machines. The total number of licenses is 160 of which 60 correspond to Kyiv.
- Lotteries in Ukraine are only state-owned. The law allows the following types of lotteries: instant, combined, lottery (lottery with a percentage or fixed prize pool, mixed lottery).
Earlier it was reported that the cabinet of ministers will create a state fund to support medicine, sports, education, culture and science, which will be replenished by funds from payments for licenses for the gambling business
