The government of Ukraine has proposed to suspend some points of a law on licensing certain kinds of economic activities that regulates the issuing of licenses for the organization and running of gambling businesses.
The Cabinet of Ministers registered the relevant draft law in the parliament on Jan. 18.
The draft law proposes to suspend point 29 of Article 9 (regarding the gambling business) and part 3 and 4 of Article 15 of the law on licensing of certain kinds of economic activities.
According to the explanatory note to the draft law, this "is the best solution to this issue [bringing this law into line with the law banning the gambling business in Ukraine], as the ban introduced by the Verkhovna Rada on the operation of the gambling business is of temporary character."
It was proposed to stop the operation of the regulation on licensing of certain kinds of economic activities until the adoption of a law on the gambling business foreseeing the creation and functioning of gambling zones on the territory of Ukraine.
As reported, the Ukrainian parliament adopted the law banning the operation of gambling businesses and participating in gaming on May 15, 2009. Ukraine’s President Viktor Yuschenko vetoed the law on June 4, but the parliament overrode the veto and the head of the state signed the law on June 23.
The law came into force on June 25, 2009 and will be in effect until special laws allowing gambling businesses to operate in special zones are adopted.
The law ordered the Cabinet of Ministers to draft within three months a special law on the gambling business in Ukraine, and on the special zones in which gambling will be allowed.
