The full-scale war affected all areas of economic activity and continues to create numerous risks and problems for Ukrainian business. However, companies continue to operate and adapt to new working conditions, just as state institutions do, in particular in the field of business regulation.
Gambling has not become an exception to the general rule. Currently, the legal gambling market is preparing for the introduction of the State Online Monitoring System (SOMS) and changes in the tax legislation, provided for by Draft Law No. 2713-д, which should become effective together with the start of operation of the SOMS.
The partnership between state bodies, gambling companies and other interested parties, in particular players as users of the services of legal gambling organizers, is one of the main aspects in the implementation of the State Online Monitoring System. This will ensure interaction and cooperation between all market participants and establish effective control over the activities of gambling companies.
Here the issue of mutual trust between all interested parties and the provision of security guarantees, first of all for players, comes to the fore. SOMS should not provide for the personalization of players' data, as this may violate their rights to confidentiality and privacy. The main risk of such personalization is that it can lead to the leakage of players' personal information, which can then be used for various abuses, including fraud.
Therefore, the State Online Monitoring System should ensure the protection of personal data of recipients of the services of legal gambling business organizers and the confidentiality of private information. To this end, the system should be provided with reliable data protection and have mechanisms for detecting and preventing cyber attacks. It is also necessary to ensure the appropriate level of qualification of employees who will be responsible for monitoring and controlling the activities of gambling companies using SOMS.
In general, the introduction of an online monitoring system in the field of gambling should be an important step in ensuring the safety and protection of players' rights, as well as the development of the gambling business industry in Ukraine. SOMS should be focused on collecting and accumulating aggregated data on the number of bets, winnings and losses, the total amount of bets, etc. This will allow government bodies to effectively control the gambling market and prevent illegal activities. For the legal gambling organizers, it is an opportunity to prevent any insinuations about accusations of "non-transparency" and non-payment of taxes.
The state online monitoring system is an important tool for ensuring legality and security in the gambling market, as well as for increasing trust in public administration as a whole. The simultaneous implementation of the SOMS and the application of tax changes will create more favourable conditions for the development of legal gambling in our country.
Ukraine has the potential to become one of the leading countries in the region in the online segment of gambling, and later, after victory in the war, in the offline segment as well. However, this is possible only if a favourable and safe environment is created for players and investors. For this, it is necessary to actively work on the development of legislation and infrastructure of the gambling industry in Ukraine.