Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, has featured casino gambling for quite some time. However, newspapers within the city have recently made a shocking announcement: Prague bans slot machines.
Lawmakers in the city have voted for new legislation that would shut down all electronic gaming. The City Council will soon vote on whether to officially approve this measure.
Under the new bill, all electronic, electromechanical, and mechanical slot machines will become illegal within 3 years.
Why Is This Ban Happening?
Hana Kordova Marvanova, a city councilor, believes that slot machines pose a significant risk to local residents. Not surprisingly, Marvanova is totally in favor of Prague bans slot machines.
“The last decree on gambling regulation is from 2015. Unfortunately, it did not limit the number of casino gambling rooms,” says Marvanova.
Slot machines are a bad sign for the city because they are the most addictive and are linked to all sorts of crime, so it is both a social and security risk.”
The latest decree will still allow table games in luxury casinos. Therefore, the city won’t be totally void of gambling options.
However, Prague is still set on getting rid of slot machines. Mayor Zdenek Hrib echoed this sentiment when speaking with the press.
“This is the third decree to regulate gambling in Prague since 2007. Gaming operators often circumvent laws and regulations,” says Hrib.
“The city authorities must immediately respond to these changes in order to reduce the pathological phenomena that arise in connection with the slot machines,”
Prague Bans Slot Machines – Will It Become Reality?
The Czech Republic capital definitely doesn’t seem to like electronic gaming. Therefore, the City Council will likely approve the latest measure to get rid of slots.
However, the city will no doubt miss out on serious tax revenue from not having slot machines. Furthermore, some of those who love playing slots will simply find new ways to play (e.g. online casinos).