In Ukraine, the gambling business (except for lotteries) has been completely prohibited by law since 2009. However, as often happens, despite the ban, the market continued to exist, but, already in a semi-legal and sometimes illegal format. Market participants chose different methods to continue their activities. Some even found ways to circumvent the law, such as slot machine halls that functioned under the guise of lotteries. The rest simply went into the shadows and continued their activities underground. Andrey Astapov, Managing Partner, tells for Kyiv Post