Lawmakers successfully drove the gambling business "into the shadows"
On the day the law came into force, all casinos, bookmakers, and slot machine halls closed their doors to visitors. Gambling enthusiasts were left without their dose of adrenaline.
However, this lasted only a few weeks. Then, little by little, one after another, former bookmakers and slot machine halls began to reopen, merely changing their signs. Instead of "slot machines" (Russian: 'игровые автоматы', Ukrainian: 'гральні автомати'), signs such as "Internet club" (Russian: 'Интернет-клуб', Ukrainian: 'Інтерактивний клуб') appeared. But instead of slot machines, the premises contained turned-on monitors with two or three icons on the desktop (occasionally more). Officially, the establishment provided internet access service, but for a much higher fee (3-4 times) than in regular computer clubs. Unofficially, the establishments offered the same games for money – electronic roulette, slot machines, and the ability to place bets on sporting events.
After paying a certain amount at the cash register, the customer received a receipt with a message roughly like: "The administration of the establishment is not responsible for the customer visiting sites whose viewing is prohibited by law." Below the text was a number that the customer had to enter into the address bar of the requested site to gain access to the virtual casino. If the customer won, they received money from the cashier using the receipt.
The situation was similar with bookmakers. The player registered on the website, entered their passport details, identification code, and email address. Then they topped up their virtual account at the cashier and could place bets on football, hockey, tennis, or another sport. After the event took place, the player could check their account balance. If they made a correct prediction, their account was credited, and the player could withdraw money or place new bets.
Also, after the ban on gambling business, the traffic to sites offering online poker increased noticeably. Such sites provide detailed information about the rules of the game and payment of bets, as well as the necessary parameters of the player's computer – minimum screen resolution, minimum RAM, minimum processor speed, etc.
_