Bet shops in Republika Srpska today will close their premises in protest of the government and the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, one of the entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On Tuesday, at the NSRS session, the first issue on the agenda will be the Law on Lottery Games, which, if adopted, will lead to the closure of legal domestic betting shops, the organizers claim.
“If the National Assembly of RS adopts the Gaming Law on Tuesday, we are forced to close. Specifically, this means that 2,500 of our workers will be left out of work, and the RS itself will remain without a budget of 60 million in budget, how much it gets annually from lottery,”the organizers said.
The RS government deemed the issue an urgent procedure meaning the government does not have to hold a public debate on the issue. If passed, the RS Ministry of Finance will have control over all gambling in the region.
Gambling companies are opposed to the increased regulation from the government, and they are also worried about having to pay more in tax. Premier Sport Betting believes the new rules will greatly impact their profit margins.
The Ministry of Finance wants more control as gambling shifts to the online venue, and in a press release the ministry said they are aiming to improve betting in the region. The government wants to strengthen the Lottery of Republika Srpska Banja Luka, the national lottery to a similar standard of surrounding countries.
Premier says the government has poorly communicated the new regulations, and they are attempting to make the case that jobs will be lost due to the new regulations.
Gambling profits have been booming in the region. The government is looking to better profit off of the big revenues and has as part of the bill will tax even small winnings under $50.
