Ukraine gambling expansion bill voted down at first reading

Ukraine’s gambling expansion plans failed to clear their first legislative hurdle, and the government is retaliating by shutting down land-based slots operators.

On Thursday, 213 members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada legislative chamber voted in favor of Bill 2285-d, which aims to dramatically expand the country’s list of legal gambling options, including land-based casinos and online casino, poker and sports betting. But the vote fell 13 votes short of a majority.

The rejection wasn’t fatal, as a second vote secured enough votes (243) to send the bill back to committee for further tweaking after which it will be sent back to the Rada for another first reading vote.

Ukraine’s gambling expansion plans were first introduced in October but have undergone significant revision after six additional gambling bills were filed in November. These bills have since been consolidated under a single bill and include some dramatically hiked license fees.