Like any crisis, the war quickly and clearly divides the society into those who do everything dependent on them and even more to overcome adverse circumstances and win, and those who try to use the "troubled water" exclusively for their own profit, using even illegal methods.
Business is no exception to this rule. Legal entrepreneurs continue to work, pay taxes, maintain jobs, and at the same time try to help the Armed Forces, the Territorial Defence Forces and the internally displaced people. However, illegal ones try to fill their pockets in any way.
Currently, almost all of Ukraine actually works for victory: soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Territorial Defence Forces, state institutions, civil society, business, volunteers, etc.
The legal organizers in the gambling market, who have been working in Ukraine for the third year in a row, also play their role in this. They strengthen the national economy through state budget revenues: they pay license fees and taxes, and maintain jobs as well.
Today, during martial law, this means an important support for the country. In the new year of 2023, domestic gambling companies that are members of Ukrainian Gambling Council, the largest specialized association of representatives of the legal gambling market, which unites more than 80% of the industry's enterprises, have already paid almost UAH 155 million in license fees to the budget of Ukraine. It is 10% of the amount of state gambling revenues planned by the Government for the current year.
In particular, SPACEIKS LLC (Cosmolot trademark) paid UAH 23.4 million for the next year of validity of the license to the organization and conducting of online casino gambling.
Parimatch LLC (Parimatch trademark) paid UAH 108 million for the third year of validity of the license to the organization and conducting of betting and UAH 23.4 million for the extension of the license to the organization and conducting of online casino gambling.
Let me remind you that members of the UGC transferred more than UAH 500 million last year for the needs of the military and internally displaced persons, and the UGC office itself transferred almost UAH 100,000 to the special account of the Armed Forces.
The state and legal business are allies in the war and should help each other: business by paying taxes, fees and license fees, and the state by creating conditions for the work and development of business and fighting against illegal business. Victory is always the result of joint efforts. You should keep this in mind.