EUROMAT NEWS

MEMBER STATE NEWS

28/07/11 – The Czech Senate is set to vote on a gambling reform that would devolve control of gaming and amusement machines to local municipalities and reform industry taxation. Provisions which would have introduced bank and ISP blocking for online gambling were discarded at the final reading in the Lower House of Parliament at the end of June. If adopted, the amended Act can, however, not be enacted until 17 October when the standstill period set by the European Commission is due to end.

11/07/11 – The Spanish Ministry for Home Affairs published its Annual Gambling Report for 2010. Based on figures reported by privately managed casinos, bingos, operators of gaming and amusement machines, as well the country’s official State Lottery, Loterias y Apuestas del Estado        (LAE)        and      Spanish

Foundation ONCE, the review reports that the industry’s turnover amounted to €27,338 million, directly employing around 100,000 people.  However, it also reflects a slight downturn for the private sector, whereby the activity of category “B” machines in particular decreased by 15.16%. The number of active machines decreased from 246,651 machines in 2009 to 239,992 in 2010.