Sipos: We Call on Pellegrini to Veto Gambling Act Amendment (2)

Bratislava, 24 October (TASR) – The opposition 'Slovakia' party has called on President Peter Pellegrini not to sign and to return to Parliament the amendment to the Gambling Act that was approved by Parliament on Thursday (23 October), as the bill supports gambling in Slovakia and thus all its negative effects on people and families, said 'Slovakia' parliamentary caucus head Michal Sipos at a press conference on Friday. "I believe that Peter Pellegrini can look himself in the mirror and recall what he promised before the elections, and if he has at least a shred of dignity, he won't sign this law that was forcibly pushed through yesterday by Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak, government MPs from Smer, Voice and the Slovak National Party (SNS). If he signs it, he'll take full responsibility for the breakdown of families and the financial ruin of those who throw their money into those machines," said Sipos. According to him, by approving the amendment, Rudolf Huliak and the governing coalition have decided to roll out a "red carpet" for gambling and for companies that profit from the misfortune of others. Sipos believes that the move is mainly about saving the last casino in Bratislava, whose licence is set to expire at the end of October. He noted that both the city and its inhabitants have shown repeatedly in the past that they do not want gambling in their city. "We'll be watching very closely how Peter Pellegrini acts, because time is of the essence. The licences for all casinos and gaming halls in Bratislava expire on 30 October, and Huliak and the gambling lobby need President Pellegrini to sign it as soon as possible," the opposition MP added. The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has made the same appeal to the head of state. "The amendment to the Gambling Act means business for casino lobbyists and suffering for Slovak families. We therefore call on President Peter Pellegrini not to sign it," said PS leader Michal Simecka in a statement. He stated that people reject this law regardless of their political affiliation. "The president of all citizens cannot ignore the hundreds of thousands of signatures under various petitions calling for a ban on gambling in our towns and municipalities, which Minister Huliak mocks. And since the coalition doesn't have 76 votes to push this law through, the decision rests with President Pellegrini," added Simecka. "After the legislation is submitted to the President's Office, the president will next week review its final wording and decide on his next steps within the constitutional deadline," the president's spokesperson Patricia Medved Macikova told TASR. Parliament definitively approved the amendment to the Gambling Act on Thursday evening. The debate took place via a fast-tracked legislative procedure, with 71 of the 78 MPs present voting in favour. According to the Tourism and Sport Ministry, which oversees national lottery company Tipos, the approved amendment responds to the need to increase state budget revenues. It will also introduce more efficient management of number lotteries and enable the national lottery company to take over individual licences from other gambling operators under specified conditions, stated the ministry in its explanatory report. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 4-8 mf/df