Government disagrees – New gambling rules could fail

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It is unlikely that the gambling sector will undergo reform any time soon. The negotiations between the government parties ÖVP and the Greens have all but failed, the newspaper ‘Der Standard’ reported on Friday. For example, there were plans for an independent licensing authority and more protection for players.

The fact that gambling must be traded has been enshrined in the government program for two years now. The creation of an independent licensing authority and increased player protections were planned. “My goal was to no longer organize the issuing of the gambling license in the ministry, but in an independent body,” Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) told the Standard. This has already been designed and can be “decided quickly.” It would fail because of the will of the coalition partner. Brunner was involved in the negotiations.

Decrease max bet?
But it should be less about the new authority than about protecting players. According to “Standard”, questions about the maximum possible losses, winnings or stakes in gambling are particularly controversial. The Greens would demand a maximum bet of 20 cents on machines. The ÖVP goes too far, as the current maximum bet is ten euros. Too strict rules would only lead to illegality, it said. Greens MP Nina Tomaselli, who was involved in the negotiations, stressed that “the entire monthly salary can be lost in just a few hours”.

240,000 compulsive gamblers in this country
“Certainly in times when the population is heavily burdened by high inflation, gambling addiction causes even greater damage. Gambling addiction destroys families and livelihoods (…),” said Tomaselli. In Germany, 240,000 people are addicted to gambling, and the lockdowns during the corona pandemic have further increased this number.

According to the politician, there has been no hearing for nine months. However, the party is available again for calls at any time.

The federal states are primarily responsible for approving domestic games of chance, which may allow machines or issue bans, for example. The federal government is responsible for classic casinos, among other things. According to experts, there is a conflict of interest since the Ministry of Finance is a co-owner of Casinos Austria.

Source: Krone

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