kyivlifeblog

Although the government rushed through a bill to close all gambling last week – and effectively all casinos were shut down overnight …. the act still requires the President of Ukraine to sign the act to bring it into force.

On Sunday most radio stations here had a minutes silence for the death of the Entertainment Industry in Kiev… but there may still be some life.

Yesterday over 30,000 demonstrators – casino workers – were on the streets to try and make the President see sense and the latest news is… he may have done.

He has already voiced concern over the fact that the act was voted through too quickly  and “on emotions” – within the next few days it is understood that he may refuse to sign and suggest that more work is done on the bill to make it effective – together with suggestions.

This would lift the ban and hopefully allow the industry to get together and propose a package of self-regulatory measures.

This is an ideal situation – in the interim Tymoshenko has issued a statement that the act is necessary to prevent the little money left in peoples purses post-crisis, being sucked up by the casinos. No emotion there then.

The Ukrainian Government has effectively closed down all casinos and slot parlours with immediate effect. Prompted by the emotions of the recent fire in a slot hall in Dnipropetrovsk where 9 people died the Government ministers have seized their opportunity to take draconian action. Originally it was just the casinos in that area that were shut but now with the new Act – they are all now shut throughout Ukraine.

Cynically the move mirrors that of Russia – Big Brother – which shuts all of its gambling activities next month<p But whereas the Russian operators had time to prepare for the worst – the Ukrainian Government has just effectively knifed a whole industry without considering the implications on the tax income and ordinary peoples livelihoods. They have just made a blind stupid ill-informed decision instead of taking their time and taking measured steps to regulate – control – improve.
It is not just casino staff that will be affected – think of the cloakroom staff, the cleaners, the waitresses, the couriers, entertainers, suppliers…

When Julia Timoshenko made her impassioned speech following the fire that the casinos would all have to shut whilst safety checks were carried out she forgot one simple thing… they were already supposed to be checked!!! Her Government was supposed to be making sure that they were safe. It’s called responsibility. Accountability.  Professionalism. But – what a surprise – the whole system is rotten as a pear.

Instead of actually trying to regulate properly – it was easier to just shut the lot. A cop out. Brainless.
Where to go now to gamble in Ukraine?

…Underground of course.

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