Milavica gets support: Betting shops must be a kilometer away from schools

The Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton adopted the initiative to increase the current criteria for the necessary distance of betting shops from religious buildings and primary and secondary schools from at least one hundred meters to one thousand meters.

This is an initiative by MP Sead Milavica and it was adopted with 28 votes in favor, none against, while one delegate abstained.

As Milavica stated in the explanation, the initiative was launched due to the frequent occurrence of incidents, criminal offenses, robberies, causing general social danger, disturbing public order and peace, and violations within or in the immediate vicinity of betting shop payment points, as well as the increasing gambling addiction which produces an ever-larger number of socially deviant and socially endangered individuals.

"This results in a series of problems in the wider social community. Minors are particularly exposed to these harmful influences, who, out of curiosity and a youthful desire for quick earnings, start gambling, which then slowly grows into an addiction that is very difficult to overcome," Milavica stated in the explanation.