Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered an additional review of the gambling industry and issues related to gambling advertising in the country. The head of state issued the instruction during a meeting in Minsk.
“Ads of ‘Spinning the Goose’ (a video advertising an online-casino) are everywhere, and it has already come to the point that [people say] my family is engaged into this. In fact, it is my family that gives me a hard time about it every day. They keep ‘pressuring’ me to pay attention to the issue,” the Head of State said.
“What is happening in the country? Everyone is ‘spinning the goose’. Pay attention, Dmitry NikolaevichKrutoi, (Head of the President Administration). Take this seriously,” the Belarusian leader instructed.
“What is this? We have an online casino, casinos in general, and so on. I have got confused about all these definitions,” the Head of State noted, and Mr. Krutoi assured in response, “Everything meets the regulation.”
“Well, it’s been regulated, but our country has turned into a casino,” the Head of State remarked. “[We have] some kind of Fonbet [a betting company operating in the Belarusian market] and others.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also addressed the Chairman of the State Control Committee, Vasily Gerasimov, “We have reached the point where you are bringing some people to their senses. They are writing to me: ‘You know, we’re losing some (funds). They are writing such nonsense, as if they are going to invest in some ‘serious’ areas that we do not need at all. They are saying that their losses will reach up to $500m.”
“That’s a lie,” the Chairman of the State Control Committee noted.
“Well, just think about the transaction scales! Therefore, there should be no deviation from the state interests, and pay attention to this Fonbet and casinos. True, they pay taxes, and so on, but this does not mean that the whole country – especially (in the area of responsibility) of Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev — is to be curtained with these posters and advertisements,” the Head of State emphasised.
“We have a clean, beautiful country for our people. Well, there’s probably something there that’s not for the people. As the inspections of the State Control Committee indicate, huge amounts of money go beyond our state.”
“I know you have taken on this problem. Get the relevant people involved so that we have not just a holistic picture, but ensure that a decision is made. There is no need to get allured by this money everywhere,” the President concluded, addressing Mr. Gerasimov.
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