Features of the Certification of Casino Equipment in the Gambling Market of Ukraine

The Ukrainian casino market has officially started working in August 2020 but the industry is still in a kind of an adaptation period. Operators have been granted a number of privileges, and local controlling agencies are actively working to stabilise the legal framework.

One of the top-priority issues of industry regulation is the certification of gambling equipment.

From experts of 2WinPower, you will learn how the compliance of gambling devices is being tested, what opportunities and services are available to casino operators, and how Ukraine is planning to attract foreign partners.

Features of the Adaptation Period for Entrepreneurs

Officially launching the gambling sector, the government understood that the development of the legal framework would be a complex and time-consuming process. At the same time, the authorised bodies tried to take into account all possible nuances and were even able to create loyal adaptation conditions for participants of the market.

More than 3 thousand amendments were made to the Gambling Law: the Ukrainian parliament has put in a lot of effort allowing the development of casinos not only for local entrepreneurs but also foreign businessmen.

At the same time, the government deliberately took several measures, which contributed to the rapid market growth and minimisation of the red tape.

For example, the law contains very loyal requirements for the characteristics of gambling equipment. Operators can install machines with the following parameters:

• RTP percentage from 90%;
• a random number generator;
• standard network protocols.

Compliance with the software settings remains under the control of casino owners: local certification centres provide only technical evaluation of hardware (they do not test the quality of random number generators).

In addition to loyal conditions related to the hardware certification, the country allowed operators to work legally without being bound to a single online accounting system until 2024.

Despite the unstable legal environment and deliberate indulgences, Ukraine has left several very effective tools to control the industry. Among them, we can name:

• revocation of the licence;
• penalty charges;
• introduction of a special “player ticket” to control the quality of age restrictions and wrestle against ludomania.

Who Certifies Hardware on the Ukrainian Gambling Market

The law clearly defines the concept of the subject of certification and the list of equipment that is subject to technical evaluation.

Both local enterprises and foreign laboratories can control and certify casino devices.

Today, the list made by the Gambling and Lotteries Regulatory Commission includes 5 accredited institutions:

• Zaporizhzhia Scientific and Production Centre for Standardisation, Metrology, and Certification;
• NVTs Kievoblstandartmetrologiya;
• Ukrainian State Centre of Radio Frequencies;
• Vinnytsia Research and Production Centre for Standardisation, Metrology, and Certification;
• Etalon.

In the future, the list of organisations will expand.

Authorised bodies provide casino operators with the following services:

• evaluation of technical parameters of equipment for its compliance with local regulations;
• laboratory testing of hardware devices;
• experimental studies conducted by independent laboratories and industry experts;
• confirmation of compliance and issuance of certificates in a state-approved format.

Equipment that Needs to Be Certified

Currently, there are only 5 items in the list of gambling devices that are subject to mandatory certification:

• slot machines;
• card tables;
• tables for board games, including models with a roulette wheel;
• administrative online systems of operators;
• shuffle machines.

The list of hardware is limited to make it easier for entrepreneurs to adapt to the changes. In the future, it will be expanded.

Features and Methods of the Certification Procedure

Since the legal framework is at the stage of stabilisation, casino owners are offered 2 options for entering the market:

Certification Based on Approved Technical Regulations

At the moment, these regulations are in the planning stage.

According to the current legislation, in the future, this document will become the only certification standard.

Members of the Gambling and Lotteries Regulatory Commission report that it will take at least a year to fully develop the regulations. For this period, operators were offered an alternative evaluation option: voluntary certification.

Voluntary Certification Program

This service is relevant only for the adaptation period and was developed on the basis of Article №24 of law on technical regulations and conformity evaluation of casino equipment.

The main provisions of the program:

1. Voluntary evaluation. The procedure can be completed on a voluntary basis, which means that it is not mandatory.
2. Format of inspection. Operators have the right to independently choose the type of hardware evaluation and the way to declare the results of this procedure.
3. Work under the contract. Conformity evaluation is conducted in accordance with the provisions of an agreement between the casino operator and the certification body. The document contains a list of the provided services and a form of displaying the results. Moreover, at the moment, there is no single certification format: any document issued by an authorised body will be valid.
4. Technical compliance. Entrepreneurs can order one of the forms of verification at their discretion: verification of the parameters of low-voltage electrical equipment or its electromagnetic compatibility.

Although the voluntary certification program is valid only during the adaptation period, the documents received by operators will remain valid even after the adoption of the main technical regulations. It will not be necessary to complete the procedure once again.

Ways to Attract Foreign Laboratories to the Ukrainian Market

The above-mentioned Commission and other authorities are well aware of the importance of building strong relationships with foreign agencies. Several steps have already been taken to attract companies from other countries, including the ability to work in the local market without the need to open a representative office in Ukraine.

The possibility of foreign certification centres to work in the country is discussed at the legislative level. To get on the Commission’s list, a laboratory must be accredited by the State Accreditation Centre and confirm compliance with the following criteria:

1. Availability of work permits. The accreditation centre must issue a permit for conducting inspection activities in the ISO/IEC 17020 or ISO/IEC 17025 formats.
2. Fidelity guarantee. A foreign enterprise must prove the absence of commercial, political, financial, and other relations with aggressor nations and occupants.
3. Prevention of discrimination. Foreign companies must assume obligations to act within the established legal framework and perform the same functions as local certification centres.

It is already known that applications were filed by 2 foreign laboratories. GLI and BMM international centres expressed their wish to work in the Ukrainian market. There is still no information on the results of negotiations with the representatives of the Commission.

The government has prepared a strategy to further improve the certification program. It plans to expand the list of subjects of certification by including foreign centres and complete the development of the provisions of the unified technical regulation as soon as possible.

The attraction of qualified foreign partners to the country will provide the gambling market with the following benefits:

• the rapid development of a legal framework and technical evaluation criteria in accordance with international standards;
• an opportunity to learn from the positive experience of foreign companies;
• reduction of operating costs and the maximum automation of certification processes;
• increase in the level of credibility of the Ukrainian market.

The Main Things about the Certification of Gambling Hardware in Ukraine

The local parliament and authorised bodies are making every effort to create optimal operation conditions for casino owners. The country is not only actively developing the legal framework but also implementing various strategies that will help it to attract foreign partners.

• 5 certification centres are already registered in Ukraine. Operators can contact one of the organisations at their discretion and order a voluntary conformity evaluation service with a guarantee of obtaining a state-recognised certificate.
• The government has created optimal conditions for the adaptation to the changes that take place on the market. Until the unified technical basis comes into force, operators can undergo voluntary certification. The received documents will be valid even after the adoption of the new regulations.
• The local market is open to foreign partners. The acquisition of a work permit does not mean that foreign laboratories must open representative offices in the country.

For more information on the certification process and its timeframe, please contact the managers of 2WinPower. Our specialists will take care of all the legal and organisational issues and help you to launch a gambling start-up within the shortest possible time.

From us, you can also buy a wide range of products for the land-based gambling business:

• gaming tables (including those that have a roulette wheel);
• multi-game rooms;
• shuffle machines;
• security systems;
• monitors, frameless screens, and other video equipment;
• cash registers;
• self-service terminals;
• lottery terminals, and much more.

Become the owner of a successful gambling project right now!