Court Restores Joker's Permit
Breaking News: Joker Casino Wins Court Battle Against Ukrainian Gambling Commission
In an unexpected turn of events, Joker Casino has emerged victorious in a recent court battle with the Ukrainian Gambling Commission (KRAIL). The battle started back in late December last year, when KRAIL decided to revoke the licenses of several gambling organizers, including Joker Casino, whose activities were allegedly controlled by residents of the Russian Federation.
Three struck off, one declared nullified
A total of four licenses were withdrawn in this crackdown: LLC "JOKER UA" (JOKER), LLC "PLEY FAN INVESTMENT" (FAN SPORT), LLC "ALPHAGAIM" (GOLD CUP), and the online casino license of LLC "JOKER UA".
Undeterred, Joker Casino swiftly filed a lawsuit, which was recently upheld. The gamblers' lawyers argued that the license revocation decision lacked evidence and the absence of an inspection of the licensee's activities, as required by legal norms.
A Case of False Information and Lack of Evidence
KRAIL, on the other hand, claimed that the decision was based on false information found in the license application documents and confirmed facts of control by residents of states waging armed aggression against Ukraine. However, the court found that the evidence provided was not sufficient to support such a claim.
The court determined that, at the time of the license application in April 2021, the sole major stakeholder of LLC JOKER.UA was a citizen of Latvia, Egons Daniels. A letter from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) regarding control over LLC "JOKER UA" by Russian residents was also not presented as evidence, as it was marked "For Official Use Only" and required written permission for access.
The Decision: Unlawful and Nullified
The court ruled to recognize the commission's decision as unlawful and nullified it. The decision becomes legally binding upon the expiration of the appeal period, if no appeal is filed. KRAIL now has 30 days to challenge this ruling.
Amidst this ongoing saga, two illegal websites under the Joker Casino brand continue to operate in Ukraine, both in Russian.
Maria Polyanskaya, Contemporary Affairs Correspondent
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- What about the future of casino-and-gambling activities in Ukraine, given that Joker Casino has successfully overturned the court's decision against it, a battle that hinged on concerns of gambling-trends and casino-personalities allegedly connected to the Russian Federation?
- Despite the court's decision, it seems that two illegal casino-games websites under the Joker Casino brand are still functioning in Ukraine, continuing to offer lotteries and other casino-games to citizens, all in Russian.
- The ruling in favor of Joker Casino, deemed nullified by the court due to lack of evidence and false information, may raise questions about the validity of past and future decisions made by the Ukrainian Gambling Commission and the challenge it now faces in casino-personalities and gambling-trends matters.
