Hotel giant has casino plans for Ukraine

Hilton has announced plans to open two casinos in its Kiev hotel, anticipating gambling legalisation in Ukraine.

The co-owner of the hotel’s Ukrainian branch, who has also co-founded the 1+1 Media Group, Boris Fuchsman, plans to invest $30m in the project. The project’s start date remains unknown amid ongoing efforts to legalise gambling in hotels.

A draft bill legalising gambling in hotels has to undergo a few more steps before it comes into effect: while it was passed in the first reading on January 16, parliament still has to vote for it in the second reading before Ukraine’s president signs it.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for legalising gambling in Ukraine. He ordered a new gambling bill in September 2019 and supported it in December when parliament voted for it in the first reading. As a result, 260 lawmakers voted for the draft law.