Croatia to legalize online casinos, while Slovakia overrides veto on gambling. Week’s top news

Europe’s oldest casino is facing bankruptcy, while the authorities of Croatia are going to levy taxes on foreign gambling companies. These and other gambling events are revealed in our traditional digest.

Kazakhstan legalizes regulations to combat problem gambling

The Government of Kazakhstan has amended the gambling regulation law. One is going to transfer betting shops to special zones where their operations will be fully under control. Sports bets, which are permitted in Kazakhstan, will be bound to the taxpayer ID. It will make the process more transparent.

Besides, it is suggested to increase the minimum age allowed for betting and create special mechanisms aimed at helping gambling addicts.

Belarusian authorities to get remote access to online casinos

Belarus, which will legalize virtual gambling platforms from April 2019, is discussing a new bill allowing the Government to control the online casino activity. According to the rules, owners of online gambling venues should provide the authorities with a remote access to their resources.

This is necessary so that government bodies can obtain full information about all special offers, drawings, and betting pools on gambling entertainment websites. The Ministry of Taxes and Duties of the Republic of Belarus says that all owners of legal gambling platforms will determine the way to provide a remote access on their own.

Europe’s oldest casino can go into bankruptcy

Italy-based di Campione is one the oldest gambling venues in Europe. After closing, it has been just accumulating credits in order not to turn a total bankrupt: casino’s approximate debt is $83.47 million.

Creditors still hope to remedy the situation, as the economy of Lugano (where the venue is located) depends on this casino. Following the casino closure, 500 employees lost their benefits and wages. Bankruptcy was caused by bad governance and significant increase in gambling taxes in Italy.

Slovakia overrides veto on gambling

The Parliament of Slovakia has voted for the cancellation of presidential gambling ban. In accordance with the legislation, the monopoly of national lottery company called Tipos is cancelled, thus Slovakian and foreign private companies will be able to compete fairly on the gambling market. It refers to both betting shops and online casinos.

Gambling licenses will cost €3 million or €5 million, depending on the amount of products. According to the law, operators will be able to start their activity from July 1, 2020. The gambling revenue tax will be 22%.

Croatia to legalize online gambling market

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia is working to make foreign providers enter the country’s online gambling market. Currently, Croatia is developing the law to legalize the activity of foreign online gambling venues. The authorities are taking such measures in order to officially impose a tax on third-party gambling resources because Croatia’s online gambling turnover reaches €270 million per year.

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