The Verkhovna Rada supported the transfer of gambling market regulation from the Ministry of Digital Economy to the Ministry of Finance
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy supported amendments to the draft law on taxation of income from digital platforms, including changes to the regulation of gambling and lotteries. The committee adopted the corresponding decision on May 6 during a meeting. 17 MPs voted for the new amendments.
The changes concern the draft law on amendments to the Tax Code and the law “On Banks and Banking Activities”. The document is related to the international automatic exchange of information on income received through digital platforms, as well as their taxation.
One of the supported amendments replaces the wording “implementation of state policy in the field of organizing and conducting gambling and lotteries” with “implementation of state financial policy.” This change actually involves the transfer of the functions of policy-making in the field of gambling and lotteries from the Ministry of Digital Economy to the Ministry of Finance.
During the meeting, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko stated that his department would act in accordance with the position of the Verkhovna Rada.
“We will use the position of the Verkhovna Rada. Accordingly, whatever the decision is, we will react accordingly. This issue is not easy, but we will determine it as the legislator determines,” Marchenko stated.
The deputies also asked whether the Ministry of Finance would continue the implementation of the online gambling monitoring system, which the Ministry of Digital Economy began to develop to regulate the market. Marchenko replied that he could not form a position on this issue at the moment.
“It is difficult for me to even form my position now. The last time I dealt with these issues was in 2018–2019. A lot has changed since then,” he noted.
