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President Signs Amendment Scrapping Advantages for Megacasino
Tuesday 21 December 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 21 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic on Tuesday signed an amendment to the Gaming Act, according to which the developers of the megacasino project on the outskirts of Bratislava will lose the advantages legislated by the former government of Robert Fico (Smer-SD).
According to the amendment, the special category of "casino in a recreational complex" will cease to exist. With this enabling legislation removed from the statutes, the Gaming Act will revert to its pre-2009 status. This move features in the current Government Manifesto.
Other provisions that were scrapped by the amendment include providing licences for a significantly longer period, as well as degressive taxation [the higher the profit the lower the tax - ed. note] that should have been applied in the case of the megacasino project set for Jarovce, near the borders of Hungary and Austria.
The amendment won't have any actual effect on the business environment at the moment, as there isn't a business operating such a casino.
The issue largely concerns a multi-purpose Metropolis complex, which is headed by the American concern Harrah's. The project has spurred a public outcry, with more than 125,000 people signing a petition against it. The detractors claim that it may prove to a magnet for organised crime.
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