A gambling business development concept has been approved by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and was presented yesterday by Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky. The President believes that tough regulation and an open and honest system will ensure that a gambling industry in the country can be safely conducted. He has demanded that a draft decree should be finalized within two months and be of world standard.
“I do not want you to come to me three months later in order to introduce amendments and addenda. If you get down to developing the decree – do it in due order so that it will work for years.”
The proposed new law is likely to include a central monitoring system to track income at gambling establishments, allowing for taxation of actual income instead of a flat rate tax. The Prime Minister says that a US company has expressed interest in running such a system and is ready to invest in the project.
A tender process to select the system provider could start as early as next month. Unified technical standards are expected to be introduced with tougher controls on operators and a list of approved gaming machines.
A separate gambling zone near Minsk airport will be considered although it is
|
|
|
|
|
|
recognized that such a measure would entail billion dollar investment.
Apart from this it is envisaged that only two or three casinos would be granted licences in the capital and one in each administrative region. There will be restrictions on the location of gambling halls.
Lukashenko told the government that if approached wisely the gambling industry would bring new jobs, attract tourists and be an additional source of tax income. He added that history shows that bans produce nothing but harm and gambling should be controlled, not outlawed. He commented that all would be well as long as government officials did their job and new laws made the gambling business in Belarus good for both commercial operators and the state without creating negative social consequences. (E-03.10.10)
|
|
