Yermak’s Office: “minor things” left for full-fledged start of gambling market

To fully launch the gambling market in Ukraine, it's necessary to adopt a tax law for the gambling business, remove the issue of "conflict" on electing the Commission for Regulating Gambling and Lotteries, and ensure the arrival of foreigners.

Borys Baum, an adviser to the Deputy Head of the Office of President Kyryl Tymoshenko, stated this in an interview with LB.ua.

"In fact, this whole topic (Ed.: of gambling market) is overseen by Kyrylo Tymoshenko (Ed.: Deputy Head of the President's Office). I'm an adviser to Kyrylo, I'm very grateful to him. We walked this path together, he helped. And, of course, without it, there's no way to cope with the issue. Therefore, according to Kyrylo, I also deal with this situation. But denying the fact that I'm the locomotive of all this, I oversee the general picture and try to finish it exactly as the President says is a fact," he said.

According to the adviser to the head of the President's Office, to fully launch the market, it's necessary for the Verkhovna Rada to adopt several laws.

"Finishing the little things remains. It's necessary to adopt a tax law, elect a new commission (Ed.: Commission for regulating gambling and lotteries) when the competitions begin. They just don't even let us do it. At the last faction, I told Davyd (Ed.: Davyd Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction): "Davyd, make any decision, just unblock the situation so that at least someone can elect a commission. You didn't do it, so blame only yourself for this story," Baum said.

He added that "what remains to do: pass a law on taxes, remove the issue of "conflict" with the choice of commission, to ensure the arrival of foreigners. These are all my commitments that I have to make. After that, I'll ask myself if I can do any other project."