President Peter Pellegrini has vetoed an amendment to Slovakia’s gambling law, returning it to parliament and urging MPs to reject it entirely. He said the bill would violate the constitutional autonomy of towns and municipalities that have banned casinos through local decisions.
Minister of Tourism and Sport Rudolf Huliak (Strana vidieka), whose ministry proposed the law, defended it as a way to boost state revenue by allowing the national lottery company Tipos to take over casino licenses. He criticized the veto, arguing that Slovakia cannot afford to lose hundreds of millions in potential income. Opposition parties, including KDH (Christian Democrats) and Progresívne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia), welcomed the president’s move as a stand against expanding gambling.
The veto came during Slovakia’s Responsible Gaming Week, which promotes prevention and awareness of gambling addiction. Around 160,000 Slovaks are considered at risk, and this year’s campaign focuses on protecting minors — as nearly one-third of teens aged 15 to 17 have already encountered online gambling.
Source: STVR, TASR
