Over UAH 2.2 billion ($60 million) in taxes have been already paid — four times greater than the total amount paid last year.

Read also: Ukraine blocks hundreds of illegal online casinos

In 2021, online casinos paid UAH 34.5 million ($930,000) into the Ukrainian state budget. In 2022, tax revenue from gambling rose to UAH 549.7 million ($14.9 million).

Previously, the gambling industry largely avoided paying taxes, via the manipulation of payments and the concealment of their real purpose — mainly by filing income under payment codes that carry a lower tax rate. The increased revenue may be the result of stricter enforcement of tax policies, as these schemes have become more difficult to pull off.

The administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously proposed eliminating Ukraine’s gambling regulatory body, though parliament lacked a quorum at the time to do so.

Read also: Lack of quorum blocks operation of state gambling commission for three months

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine