Ukraine’s Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL) has awarded an online licence to Speisiks, the operator of the Cosmolot brand, which previously held the country’s instant lottery licence until July 2019.
The CRGL’s approval of Speisiks’s online casino licence should have marked the launch of Ukraine’s new regulated gambling marketplace some six months after President Volodymyr Zelensky ratified the Ukrainian Gambling Law.
However, the award has sparked some controversy in the country, according to G3 Newswire, as the CRGL has rejected ‘without consideration’ 15 licence applications without explaining why, whilst also awarding the Cosmolot its licence.
The licence has also been approved even though Ukraine’s government is still yet to decide on the final technical requirements and the levels of tax that operators will need to pay.
Ilya Machavariani, the CEO and Senior Partner of CIS gambling consulting firm 4H Agency, was quoted by G3 as saying: “Developments continue to gather pace in Ukraine, however, applicant parties still await vital information on technical certification to address legislation requirements.
“The next months will be critical in how a regulated market shapes up. Out of the blue, CRGL offered its first licence this month, but greater transparency certainly could help the market.”
Last October, the commission appointed Ivan Rudyi as its first Director-General, serving a four-year term.
Rudyi is a former general of Ukraine’s ATO anti-terrorist unit fighting in the Donbass Conflict against Russian backed separatists. Before rejoining Ukraine’s armed forces, he served as an executive producer for Ukraine TV.
As Director-General, Rudyi will be supported by Olena Vodolazhko as the chief legal officer of the agency, and former Ukraine NATO representative Yevhen Hetman as the commission’s ‘lead coordinator’.