President Andrej Kiska, illustrative stock photo (source: Sme)
President Andrej Kiska signed into law the Finance Ministry-sponsored amendment to the Gambling Act on December 21.
Under the new legislation, a register of welfare recipients and people diagnosed with pathological gambling issues will be created to prevent them from indulging their habit, the TASR newswire wrote. The amendment is designed to usher in consumer protection, based on addiction prevention and responsible gambling.
Also, the Finance Directorate will see extended oversight powers over gambling, with customs offices to be involved as new supervisory bodies in the sphere as well.
The amendment also allows gambling to be banned in the cities of Bratislava and Košice, if 15 percent of adult inhabitants sign a petition to this matter, the SITA newswire wrote. In other cities, towns and villages, 30 percent of local adults will have to sign such a petition for gambling to be ousted. The draft amendment lowering the quorum to 15 percent was filed by MP Edit Pfundtner of coalition party Most-Híd.
