Casino Life Ukraine Issue 05 Published August 2021 Guest Comment: Michael Boettcher

Casino Life Ukraine Issue 05 Published August 2021  Guest Comment: Michael Boettcher
Oct 10, 2021peter

As we move into the fourth month of doing business in Ukraine, we can announce the first results of the work. Shangri La is the first foreign-licensed casino in Ukraine and we are pleased to announce that our brand remains the market leader not only in registration primacy, but also in high-class service standards. As a foreign business, it was very difficult for us to enter the market, since many aspects of the legalization of the gambling business were not taken into account or not fully resolved, despite the tremendous work done by the government and mainly reasonable solutions. Thanks to our 30 years of experience in the gambling market, we were able to find the best casino premises, make high-quality renovations, recruit and train almost 400 people and successfully open the doors of Shangri La casino in May 2021.

Despite the shortcomings in the area of taxation, we are optimistic about the future. Gradually, the process is on the way. For example, in the first reading, amendments were adopted regarding the tax on winnings for foreigners. But all the same there are still enough points that need to be changed in tax legislation. We are glad that there is a gambling commission that listens to the expert opinion of business and strives to work for the good of the country, because the development of the gambling business will bring additional foreign investment and stable tax payments. We believe that the authorities will have enough political will to bring what they have promised to the end and to normalize the work of casinos in Ukraine.

We see the potential of the market and the interest of players, as they want a safe and comfortable atmosphere in the casino where they can have fun, play, participate in promotions and receive pleasant bonuses in the form of a motorcycle or a car.

We are ready for new projects and are already developing our network of slot machine halls “Slots City.” At the moment we have seven locations throughout Ukraine, and we are ready to invest even more but within a favourable not overregulated environment for business development. And other international companies are interested in coming to Ukraine but will wait to see if this is a stable or unstable environment in which to work. It is therefore essential to fight out shadow business and change taxation on winnings.