Former ATO Veteran Heads Ukrainian Gambling Commission

Last week Ukrainian government announced new chairman of the New Gambling and Lottery Control Commission, Ivan Rudyi, a former member of the country's Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO).

Ivan Rudyi (pictured), who allegedly beat 20 other job candidates, will be charged with managing the country's new regulated Gambling Industry, which for the first time will legally approve online gambling. A minister of Cabinet of Ministers, Oleg Nemchinov, in addition to his military background, praised Rudy's experience:

"Ivan Rudyi has experience and knowledge in management, international relations and finance. He is a participant in the hostilities. He was a member of the Ukrainian national team at the "Unconquered Games" in the Netherlands," -

said Nemchinov about the new Head of the Commission.

In the end, the Commission will include seven participants, two of whom were already elected last week. Attorney Olena Vodolazhko has considerable experience of work in state bodies, as well as experience of cooperation with state regulatory bodies in the development and implementation of regulatory acts, while former NATO coordinator of international projects Yevhen Hetman received the nod for his working experience in regulatory bodies and management of public and private enterprises.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech to Parliament last month in which he echoed earlier statements that legal gambling would contribute UAH5b (US$176m) to next year's state budget. Most of the amount will come from the first round of license fees, but potential income will depend on how high the nation imposes the current tax thresholds on casinos, which are undetermined to this day.

Meanwhile, the illegal form continues to keep the authorities busy while the country awaits government-sanctioned gaming. The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office reported last month the bust of four independent gambling operations that had connections to computer terminals connecting to gambling sites around the world. During the searches police confiscated more than 100 computers and other related devices.

The authorities said that at least one of these operators was among those shut down late last year after lawmakers refused to support a draft gaming bill and President Zelensky ordered a crackdown on the illicit operations he believed those lawmakers were seeking to protect.