Bookmakers in RS to close branches today

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Gambling organizers in the entity of Republika Srpska will close their branches today in protest against the Government and the National Assembly of RS.

On Tuesday, the NSRS session will have the Law on Gambling as the first item on the agenda, which, if adopted, will lead to the closure of legal domestic bookmakers, claim the organizers.

- If the National Assembly of RS adopts the Law on Gambling on Tuesday, we will be forced to close. Specifically, this means that our 2,500 employees will lose their jobs, and RS itself will lose 60 million marks in budget revenue, which is the annual income from gambling - stated the organizers.

The new Law on Gambling was prepared by the Ministry of Finance of RS, and the Government of RS sent it to the procedure as the proposer on an urgent basis.

- Everything concerning this law is controversial. Although procedures require a professional analysis and public debate during the drafting of the law, this did not happen in this case. Furthermore, instead of a regular procedure, the Government sent this law for an urgent procedure, although there are no justifiable reasons for it. Ultimately, this law deprives domestic private bookmakers of their most popular games, drastically increases their taxes on sports betting, and pushes almost all gambling onto slot machines, which are in the hands of foreign lobbies, and which we believe are the main drivers of this law, along with individuals from domestic authorities. We responsibly claim that this law was created with the aim of destroying domestic bookmakers and leaving the market to foreigners - claim the gambling organizers.