Betting shops in FBiH owe the state over 25 million KM!

The debt of betting shops to the state in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina alone, as of October 31, 2014, exceeds 25 million KM, according to official data from the Tax Administration of the Federation of BiH, reports the news agency Patria (NAP).

Adisa Hamzić, spokesperson for the Tax Administration of FBiH, explained to Patria that betting shop owners most often fail to pay contributions for pension and disability insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance for their employees.

By avoiding tax obligations, betting shops generate enormous profits, while simultaneously damaging the federal budget by multi-million amounts.

The largest debtors with outstanding contributions are Intersport d.o.o. Mostar and Derby Bet Shop d.o.o. Mostar. The Tax Administration of FBiH has notified the prosecutor's office due to suspicion of criminal offenses committed in these betting shops, and the branches of these betting shops have been sealed.

- There are also "REMI" Sports Betting d.o.o. Tuzla and "DERBY BET SHOP" d.o.o. Mostar, where we are carrying out forced collection procedures, meaning their transaction accounts are blocked, and their assets have been inventoried and seized for public sale – Hamzić confirmed.

For the company "INTERSPORT" d.o.o. Mostar, forced collection procedures have already been fully implemented.

The Tax Administration of FBiH notes that the debt of betting shops in FBiH to the state has decreased by about 3.4 million KM compared to 2013, but this is far from satisfactory.

Experts warn that criminal business practices in a large number of betting shops in FBiH are a serious problem that disrupts the economic stability of FBiH. This is a problem that falls under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Prosecutor's Office of FBiH, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, and the Federal Ministry of Justice, writes Patria.