Kosovo wants to ban gambling

As part of a new policy to definitively ban gambling, the Kosovar authorities have decided to close half of the betting offices and gambling circles present in the territory. According to the police, these establishments increase the crime rate in the country not to mention gambling addiction.

A tough operation

Since last Saturday, the intervention of the police began after the adoption of a resolution demanding from the government a new law in order to eradicate gambling over a period of 10 years by the Parliament. Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has announced that those in power will introduce new regulations to ban gambling from next week. It goes without saying that the ever-increasing activity of casino games is going badly with the main officials.

This resolution was passed unanimously by the Parliament during an extraordinary session convened following the murder of two employees of the Paris offices in the south and in the center of Kosovo. This affair shook the country since one of the suspects was a police officer. This one has already been arrested. The adoption of this resolution allowed the closure of several betting houses, including 220 of the 476 sports betting offices and gaming circles. In a statement, police confirmed the seizure of around 200 slot machines. The government explained that this exceptional measure will help to minimize the illegal and criminal activities that mainly take place in these places. It goes without saying that these establishments are often at the heart of settling scores or crimes that claim the lives of several people each year. And things continue to get worse with the development of the market with the arrival of new entertainment options. According to customs, nearly 1,500 slot machines were imported into the country last year, an increase of 27% compared to 2017. Other countries have already adopted this law encouraging the ban on gambling especially its neighbor, Albania by closing 4,300 betting offices. Now, only casinos located in five-star hotels and tourist sites have the chance to obtain a license. Enough to delight the operators concerned, not to mention the reduction in competition.