On 25 September 2020 the Council of Europe organised a training workshop on “Anti-money laundering and Counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) compliance in the gambling sector”. The event was prepared and delivered in close cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine. Due to recent restrictions related to COVID-19 the event was held in a mixed format with a limited number of participants present on site and a broader audience on-line, thus gathering over 60 participants from several organisations involved in AML/CFT in relation with the gambling sector.
Different aspects of the AML/CFT framework for the gambling sector were extensively explained and illustrated by the Council of Europe international expert during the event. This included international AML/CFT standards for the gambling sector (including on-line casinos) and their implementation in practice, risk-based approach and risk factors, specifics of know your customer (KYC), customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence and politically exposed persons (PEPs) for the gambling sector, detecting and reporting suspicious activity, cooperation between supervising authority, FIU and law enforcement agencies. Separate focus was put on AML/CFT supervision over the gambling sector as this is the role to be played by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.
The workshop is expected to enhance capacities of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine as the AML/CFT supervising authority for the gambling sector and to support drafting of relevant secondary legislation by the Ministry.
Moreover, the workshop has also facilitated a dialogue between different actors and stakeholders involved in AML/CFT aspects of gambling, in particular supervising authorities, representatives of professional organizations representing the gambling sector and law enforcement agencies.
This activity was organised within the framework of the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance II Project on “Strengthening measures to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism in Ukraine” which is funded jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.