Ukraine has learnt that the most appropriate way to beat online gambling competition is to close access to them. The Ukrainian government learnt this through its efforts to move towards regulated online gambling. As a result, the National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Informatization (NKRZI), telecom regulator for Ukraine, asked internet service providers (ISPs) to block 32 online gambling websites on February 21.
The move originates from Judge Oksana Hardina of the Shevchenkovskiy District Court of Kyiv ruling. The ruling authorized telecom regulators to block websites offering content considered illegal locally. After the ruling, the new tactic was ordered on February 13 by Chief Investigative Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine. The State Regulation of Communications and Informatization hanged around to letting ISPs know publically with this announcement.
PartyPoker, Pinnacle, CloudBet, FastPay Casino, Yukon Gold, Golden Tiger Casino and BetChain, are among the 32 websites ISPs are expected to block. The notice made clear that there is room to appeal the decision even if it looks unlikely to happen.
“Within five days from the date of its announcement, an appeal may be filed against the decision of the investigating judge directly to the Kyiv Court of Appeal,” it notes.
Otherwise, the ISPs were expected to shutter access to these sites immediately. It’s only a few weeks since the Cyber Police of Ukraine went after sites putting up a front as “legitimate IT development” businesses. The operations were blamed for having a monthly income of about $1 million, from customers around the world.
Ukrainian legislature passed a bill that puts in place a lot of the necessary regulations for a locally regulated online gambling industry in January. No taxation information was cemented even after establishing License fees for different verticals. Even as much as Ukraine wants to get its gambling situation sorted out, it is putting just as much emphasis on shutting out internationally licensed operators than it is building up its own.
Source: https://calvinayre.com/2020/02/25/business/ukraine-blocks-access-to-international-online-operators/
https://news.tunf.com/ukraine-shut-off-access-to-32-international-online-gambling-websites/422813