EUROMAT outrage at Hungarian slot machine eradication


EUROMAT outrage at Hungarian slot machine eradication

The Hungarian Parliament has this week adopted legislation which provides for a
total ban of all gaming machines

Friday, 5 October 2012 – The Hungarian Parliament has this week adopted legislation which provides for a
total ban of all gaming machines, having no regard for the devastating social and economic impact of its
decision. The only exemptions to this legislation are those gaming machines that are located in casinos
which are licenced by a state-owned monopoly. In an extremely aggressive and anti-competitive move,
the Hungarian Government has completely blind-sided the industry, and has left it no time to react.
According to data provided by EUROMAT’s Hungarian member association, MSZSZ, up to 40.000
European citizens currently employed –directly or indirectly- by the Hungarian gaming and amusement
industry could lose their jobs in a matter of days. This alarming figure comes on top of the 20.000 people
who have already lost their job as a result of the Hungarian Government introduction of an arbitrary
increase of the gaming tax in November 2011. Moreover, the Hungarian gaming and amusement industry
has made significant investments in the past months, as it was preparing, in particular, for the launch of
server-based gaming, in accordance with new laws that were introduced earlier this year.
“The Hungarian Government has not only completely disregarded constitutional and EU laws, as well as
the European Convention of Human Rights, but has clearly failed to understand the broader impact that its
actions will have on society and economy in Hungary and across Europe”, said Annette Kok, EUROMAT’s
President. “There are clear precedents which will be used to ensure that this anti-competitive move by a
Member State will be challenged not only before the Hungarian Constitutional Court, but in particular also
before the EU Institutions, the European Court of Justice and the Court of Human Rights and EUROMAT is
ready to provide full support to its Hungarian member, MSZSZ, to do so”, Annette Kok stressed.