Gambling Operators Call on Government to Cooperate

Private gambling operators have called on the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to form an expert team that will draft a new law on gambling in the Federation, from which, they demand from betting shops, the budget of the Federation, society as a whole, but also the gambling operators will benefit, Patria writes.

- Gambling operators want this area in the FBiH to be regulated according to modern European standards. We want to pay our obligations to the state. But, we cannot accept laws that would destroy us – the gambling operators stated. 

The House of Peoples did not accept that the amendments to the Law on Gambling in the FBiH be adopted under an urgent procedure, as proposed by the SDA. The majority of delegates decided on Thursday that such a law must still be adopted through regular procedure. They stated that the law is too serious to be passed without detailed analyses. Delegates of the HDZ, as well as delegates from opposition parties, were against the adoption of the gambling law under an urgent procedure.

- We demand that the Government adhere to the fiscal sector reforms (FAR), to which it committed itself last year. If the Government were to implement these reforms, public revenues from gambling organizers would increase by 20 to 30 million KM annually – the gambling operators explain.

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina committed itself last year to implementing the Fiscal Sector Reform Project, which should ultimately facilitate private sector operations, reduce corruption, and strengthen business transparency.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was signed by the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fadil Novalić, and the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maureen Cormack.

Despite the signing, the implementation of the Fiscal Sector Reform Project, the Government is adopting some solutions outside this project, NAP writes.