It’s been one year since the war in Ukraine broke out.
There are a number of igaming companies located in Ukraine, or employ a large number of Ukrainians. In a five-part roundtable series in collaboration with SBC News, we wanted to speak with such companies to discuss how the conflict has impacted them and how the betting and gaming industry can best support those still based there.
The war in Ukraine has dominated headlines in recent months, but we understand little about how it has impacted indigenous gaming suppliers. What’s your understanding of the situation?
Vlad Slyusarenko, CEO of Bet on Good Foundation: In my opinion, first and foremost, this is a cruel and completely unfair extermination of Ukrainians, which affects not only Ukraine but also the entire world. Furthermore, this war has become a test of strength for democracy, for countries striving for freedom and development, and for countries prioritising individuals as subjects who influence processes.
Currently, we can see how inflation is increasing, food shortages are affecting Ukraine, food prices are rising, and cities are periodically experiencing blackouts due to regular massive rocket attacks from the territories of Russia and Belarus.
All of these issues are interconnected, and it is also affecting the gambling industry. The solvency of players is decreasing, and they have less access to electricity, which reduces their involvement in the products and offers of the industry.
Despite this, it is strange that due to fatigue, Ukrainians have begun to allow themselves more expenses aimed at pleasure and relaxation, including viewing sports events and placing minimum bets on the results to warm up the emotional component of watching the match.
We were pleased with some important sporting events, such as the rematch of the great Ukrainian, the current world champion in professional boxing according to WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO, Oleksandr Usyk, with Anthony Joshua. This event not only strengthened our spirit but also reignited our excitement, which brought us back to the interfaces of betting sites and gave a significant influx of attention from the mass audience to the industry as a whole.
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