SNS Calls on President to Veto Amendment to Gambling Act

Bratislava, 25 October (TASR) - The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) has called on President Peter Pellegrini to veto an amendment to the Gambling Act approved by Parliament on Thursday (23 October), according to the party's position sent to TASR by SNS spokesperson Zuzana Skopcova. SNS views gambling as a "necessary evil" that needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and systematic manner. "SNS believes that the president should return the bill [for reworking] and task respective ministries, especially the Tourism and Sports Ministry in cooperation with the Finance Ministry, to submit a conceptual and comprehensive law amendment, which won't be 'sewn with a hot needle' in line with the interests of individuals, but will be beneficial for the whole system and serve the public interest," stated SNS. According to SNS, gambling must have its clear regulation, chiefly in the online space. "This is an area that is highly prone to the shadow economy, and therefore requires a society-wide debate," argued SNS. The party stressed that it backed the law amendment neither at the government session, nor in Parliament. President's spokesperson Patricia Medved Macikova told TASR that the head of state will first familiarise himself with the wording of the law and then make a decision. "Mr. president will familiarise himself in detail with the amendment's final wording next week and decide on his next course of action within the deadline set by the Constitution," she said. Parliament approved the draft amendment to the Gambling Act on Thursday evening. It dealt with it via a short-track legislative procedure, with 71 out of 78 lawmakers present voting in favour of it. According to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, under whose remit comes also the state-owned lottery company Tipos, the approved amendment responds to the need to increase state budget revenues. ko