Latvia can ban gambling, and Russia can form a list of gambling addicts: digest of gambling news

Saeima’s Budget and Finance Committee will consider the ban on gambling rooms, while Russia can prepare a list of gambling addicts. These and other news are described in the digest.

Gambling business provides the Primorsky Krai with over 11 million RUB

The Finance Department of the Primorsky Krai reports that gambling tax proceeds to the local budget reached 11 million RUB in January.

One expects that gambling tax proceeds to Primorye’s budget can be more than 100 million RUB in 2019. In 2018, the gambling market boosted Krai’s treasury by 110 million RUB.

Latvia to consider gambling ban initiative

Saeima’s Budget and Finance Committee will review the initiative signed by 12,000 users on the manabalss.lv portal. It is aimed at prohibiting gambling rooms throughout the country.

Initiative authors are worried about the fact that problem gambling has embraced Latvia.

“People die and families fall apart, while revenues of gambling barons grow year by year. Now, they are amounting to $320 million per year,” initiative authors state.

The Latvian Gambling Business Association describes the initiative as populist and unreasoned.

“There's no cause for such actions. Talking about closing of all gambling halls, they say nothing about the Internet environment where gambling offers have expanded and people keep playing. It is the Internet space that is, unfortunately, full of illegal operators, which leads to many risks,” Arnis Marcinkevics, a representative of the association, says.

Russia can prepare a list of gambling addicts

Nikita Dolgarev, Head of the Center for Psychological Security in St. Petersburg, commented on the offer by the Ministry of Finance to introduce the register of Russian citizens suffering from gambling addiction in order to prohibit them from visiting betting shops.

“First off, only a doctor can determine person’s addition, as it is defined by many characteristics. Another important aspect is how games affect human social life and health, how long people can do without them, etc. I believe that such a decision looks like image building and just gives the impression of concern about citizens,” Nikita Dolgarev explains.

By the way, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has prepared the project text of the Law “On Making Amendments to the Federal Law On State Regulation of the Organisation and Conduct of Gambling and Modifications to Specific Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”. Its adoption will allow players to ask gambling operators to forbid them from participation or to limit the maximum betting sum.

UK minors can be banned from participating in national lottery drawings

The sports minister, Mims Davies, has offered at the legislative level to ban persons younger than 18 from taking part in any gambling games.

Reportedly, she is going to introduce a range of changes in the current gambling legislation by complementing the list of prohibited games. The minister refers popular scratch cards and national lottery drawings to them.

Georgia plans to evolve gambling business

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia have created the bill on developing gambling business within the country. Itwillbeconsideredaspartofthespringsession.

The authorities aim to improve the situation regarding the low popularity of gambling market in Poti, Ureki, and Grigoleti among tourists.