Belarus must have a fair, open, and transparent gambling system - A. Lukashenko

March 10, Minsk / Correspondent BELTA /. With a competent approach, the gambling business can and should become an additional source of budget revenue through taxes, contribute to job creation, and attract tourists and investments to Belarus. This was stated by Head of State Alexander Lukashenko on March 9 at a meeting on the concept of developing the gambling business in Belarus, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. "Against the backdrop of changes in Russian and Ukrainian legislation, we have every chance to take a leading position in this delicate, sensitive area. We must act very cautiously, thoughtfully and competently here, for the benefit of the country," the President said. He noted that such a specific type of activity requires special attention in modern conditions. There are different approaches to its organization and functioning worldwide. As the experience of some neighboring countries shows, the absence of a balanced state policy towards the gambling business leads to its almost complete prohibition. This causes a highly profitable business to go underground, become the prey of criminal circles, and harm society. "From history, we are convinced that prohibitions yield nothing but harm," Alexander Lukashenko said. "Therefore, this type of business should not be prohibited, except for activities that are exceptionally harmful to the state. Instead, we need to control it reasonably and combat negative phenomena when necessary." "I am saying this for those who will raise a clamor tomorrow, claiming that we will gather almost the entire criminal world of the CIS in Belarus," the President added. "Everything will be fine with us if civil servants take an honest position," the head of state is confident, "if those who are called upon to control and be responsible for this type of activity do not ruin and criminalize it themselves." Alexander Lukashenko emphasized the need to make a maximally balanced decision so that activities in this area are comfortable for both commercial structures and the state, and, importantly, do not create negative social consequences for citizens. The main content of the concept for the development of the gambling business, the development of which the President instructed the government to undertake a year and a half ago, was presented at the meeting by Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky. As the head of government informed Alexander Lukashenko, three options for the development of the Belarusian gambling industry were considered during the preparation of the concept. The first option involved the targeted modernization of the existing system. It provided for stricter control over operators, the introduction of a list of slot machines allowed for operation in Belarus, and also set restrictions on the area of gambling halls and prohibited their placement in residential buildings. The second model proposed the creation of a unified gambling and entertainment center ("gambling zone") in Belarus. Such a zone (the territory near Minsk National Airport was considered as an option) would include not only a large number of gambling establishments but also the corresponding infrastructure: hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and more. However, according to expert estimates, the creation of such a gambling and entertainment center would require excessively large financial expenditures (about $1 billion). Finally, the third option, which the government took as a basis for developing the concept, provides for the decentralization of the Belarusian gambling business, the introduction of advanced technical control measures, player protection, and the transparency of the financial activities of gambling establishments. This option is proposed to be implemented by creating a special computer cash register system (SKKS). Through a communication network, it will connect all slot machines and other equipment, allowing for the real-time collection and systematization of comprehensive information on the financial flows of gambling establishments operating in Belarus. Thus, through SKKS, state control over financial flows in gambling establishments will be established. This will allow for a gradual transition from a fixed tax on the installation of gambling equipment to transparent taxation of the actual income of gambling operators. To ensure the operation of SKKS, it is planned to establish a monitoring center. It should be created by a large private company with the necessary know-how, experience, financial resources, and material and technical base. As Sergei Sidorsky reported, one large American company has already expressed its intention to participate in this project and invest up to $200 million in it. The concept also provides for the introduction of unified technical standards for gambling equipment based on SKKS. In the future, it is planned to re-equip casinos with so-called electronic roulettes. As a result, data on bets and winnings on roulettes will also be entered into an electronic database. It is proposed to change the organization of gambling establishments: to open only large casinos, no more than one in a regional city and two or three in the capital. In addition, the Committee of State Control considers it advisable to tighten the requirements for applicants for gambling licenses, establish special requirements for the charter capital of gambling establishments, and take a number of additional measures to reduce the negative social consequences of the gambling industry (for example, prohibit the placement of establishments in small settlements (less than 50,000 inhabitants), create a unified player database to prohibit certain categories of citizens from visiting gambling establishments, and so on). The President of Belarus approved the concept proposed by the government, drawing attention to some individual aspects. In particular, Alexander Lukashenko did not rule out the possibility of holding a tender for private companies to participate in the creation of the monitoring center in the coming month. The head of state also emphasized that the data obtained through SKKS should be provided to the departments that will directly control the taxation of gambling establishments, and not to other structures. "I am against having a computer with data on these commercial channels in almost every department," Alexander Lukashenko said. "Tax authorities should deal with this. What do the State Security Committee, the KGB, the Operational and Analytical Center have to do with it? Is it their function to deal with the gambling business?... If law enforcement agencies need any operational information, they can request the necessary data at any time." The President strictly demanded that the draft decree on the development of the gambling business in Belarus, being developed based on the concept, meet world standards and experience. "I don't want it to turn out that in three months you will come to me and we will make amendments and additions. If you are going to draft a decree, draft it properly so that it works for years," the head of state said. "A fair and open gambling business system must be created in Belarus," Alexander Lukashenko stated. "But at the same time, strict responsibility must be prescribed. And then everything will fall into place." The head of state instructed to finalize the draft decree on the development of the gambling business in Belarus within two months. -0-