KDH: Gambling Bill a Dangerous and Immoral Shift in State's Policy

Bratislava, 15 October (TASR) – A draft amendment to the Gambling Act, approved by the government on Wednesday, represents a dangerous shift in the state’s approach to gambling, opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) vice-chair Marian Caucik warned on Wednesday. According to Caucik, this shows that the state is no longer merely tolerating gambling as a societal issue, but is now seeking to actively expand and promote it as a source of income. „What the government is doing is completely misguided. Instead of responsible consolidation and cutting its own costs, instead of increasing taxes on gambling, it has decided to look for money in gambling, offering bets and lotteries at home and abroad as a business model. That is not financial policy – that is a moral failure," said Caucik. Caucik stressed that such a move is anti-family and directly contradicts what the state should be doing – protecting families from risky behaviour, not encouraging it. „Families that are already struggling with debt, loss of trust, or addiction are receiving a clear message from the government: play, because we need the money for the budget. That’s a disgrace," he stated. According to Caucik, KDH has long advocated for limiting gambling rather than developing it. „Gambling should be regulated and strictly controlled, not promoted by the state as a source of revenue. This is a symbol of the helplessness of governing politicians who do not know how to save money or manage state enterprises, so they turn to offering gambling even beyond our borders," he added. Caucik pointed out that the Gambling Act is being amended for the third time in the past month. mf