Kosovo confirms gambling ban

The Prime Minister confirmed that a 10-year ban on gambling has been implemented.

Kosovo.- Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has confirmed that the parliament passed a bill late on Thursday that bans gambling for ten years. The measure had been approved by the cabinet last week in an attempt to control and ban gambling in the country.

The gambling industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, employing more than 4,000 workers and helping with local economy. However, two recent murders in the country at two different casinos led the authorities to come up with what they believe is a solution to a very specific problem. The gambling industry is severely opposed to the measure because it would leave thousands of workers jobless.

The Prime Minister said during a government session before the vote that only a state controlled lottery will be able to operate in Kosovo. “It is total chaos, a total abuse and it is good that we are stopping this,” Haradinaj had said.

“The decision to close us was taken after two of our workers were killed. This is nonsense. We lost people and now we are losing our jobs,” Ruzhdi Kosumi, who owns 14 gambling shops, told Reuters.