Ukrainian President Responds to Petition Seeking to Lift Sanctions Against Parimatch

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to a petition calling for the lifting of sanctions against Parimatch, a betting company.

Zelensky initiates review of sanctions on Parimatch

Zelensky expressed gratitude towards the petitioners for their involvement in civic affairs and shared that he has reached out to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the Interdepartmental Working Group on Implementation of the State Sanctions Policy to evaluate the petition and implement necessary measures.

On March 10, 2023, Zelensky signed into law sanctions that affect 287 companies and 120 individuals, including betting entities. These sanctions mean that these entities are prohibited from conducting any business in Ukraine for the next 50 years.

25,000 Signatures in 10 Days

A petition called ‘Lift sanctions against Parimatch’ was created in June and gained 25,000 signatures within 10 days. The aim of the petition is to revoke the 50-year ban on Parimatch’s operations in Ukraine. Parimatch received its sports betting license in March 2021, which was the first of its kind in the country. Prior to this, they had obtained approval for an online gaming license. It is worth noting that most forms of gambling have been prohibited in Ukraine since 2009.

The legalization of gambling in Ukraine was signed into law by Zelensky in August 2020, with the goal of creating jobs and boosting business growth. The move was also anticipated to generate a minimum of $185 million in annual budget revenues. Sergey Portnov, co-owner of Parimatch, voiced his approval for President Zelensky’s initiative to liberalize the economy through the legalization of gambling.