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The Supreme Council of Ukraine on Tuesday voted in favour of country-wide gambling after a 248-95 victory at second reading.
The bill will see the legalisation of online gambling, bookmaking and land-based casinos, however casinos may only be located in hotels. The Verkhovna Rada passed more than 100 amendments in the weeks preceding the vote after opposition parties presented more than 3,000 for consideration, though these amendments are yet to be made public.
Parimatch Holding, Ukraine’s largest international betting company, welcomed the new legislation, calling it a landmark moment for both the international betting industry and Ukraine's liberalising economy.
The bill also sets out restrictions on the origins and ownership of businesses in the market, stipulating that all operators and slot machine suppliers “must not be controlled by residents of an occupying state or the aggressor state in relation to Ukraine”.
