Former head of Play City Gennady Novikov: "The parliament's decision to appoint a new minister was unexpected for me"

— Why did you decide to resign and what are your future plans?

— The decision was made in connection with the change in the leadership of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. I don’t have any clear further plans yet.

— Was there an option to stay? As far as we understand, the dismissal of the head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs does not directly oblige you to leave. Was there such a demand from the new minister?

— There is no legislative requirement. This is purely my personal decision.

— Are you going alone or with a team? What areas are you considering for yourself — private business or, perhaps, civil service again?

— As for the team, it’s a decision for each individual employee. I don’t take anyone with me, because, at least, I don’t have anywhere to go (smiles).

I haven’t decided yet whether I want to work in the private or public sector. The parliament’s decision to appoint a minister for digital transformation was unexpected for me, so I didn’t plan my resignation in advance.

— By the way, why did you decide that you would not be able to work with Oksana Ferchuk in the future? She has proven herself as an effective leader in other positions.

— I have no complaints about it. But I’m leaving with the team I worked with before.

— Do you think your dismissal and the team’s possible departure will slow down the processes of regulating the gaming sector that you have started?

— Anything is possible, it’s hard for me to predict. A lot will depend on the new minister and the new head of Play City. Of course, I would like them not to lose our achievements and maintain the pace.

— Do you have a desire to continue working in the gambling industry in other roles? After all, you already have contacts with the market and an understanding of its mechanisms.

— As I said, I haven’t yet finally decided on my future career.

— To sum up: what was the main contribution of working at Play City to the development of your personality and skills?

— I definitely thoroughly understood how the gambling and lottery markets work. And I was once again convinced of a simple truth: the people you work with are the foundation of any successful project.