About activity gambling institutions - have your say…
Here has come new, 2005! The last year – leap year, has strongly got on domestic manufacturers, operators of game halls and casino owners nerves. Naturally, we are talking about the Gaming Activity Regulation Bill – the third reading of which have reached up to top, but never subdued it. Our magazine already many times wrote about problems connected to adoption of this Bill and stated our point of view on what should be the new regulation on licensing, procedures of maintenance and activities of gambling establishments in Russia. To put our readers in the picture, we have asked what the insiders of Russian gaming market think about the federal legislation on gaming industry. Our questions were: What you think about the rejected Bill? Does gaming industry really need a special Law? What should be in it, your opinion? Opinions concerning rejection of the Gaming Activity Regulation Bill project and possible adoption of the new gaming low in general were similar.
Vadim Dajneka, deputy director foreign economic relations Extrema-Ukraine co., Ltd:
Our company does not operate gaming arcades. We only sell and lease gaming equipment. At once we have noticed, that since the autumn 2004 sales to Russia have increased. Most likely, the growth is connected to the rejection of the Bill. The present situation, exactly an absence of the federal gaming Law, satisfies us entirely. If the law is to be adopted in near future, we would like it to benefit for all participants in the gaming market. In Ukraine, as well as in Russia things are not clear – federal administration mechanically increases the taxes without thinking about their economic components. This year taxes have been raised three times already in comparison to the previous year. This situation is alarming.
Alexey Tour, technical-director company Dominant 2000:
Concerning the rejected bill, I think, it was a right decision, though there were some positive points in it. In any case, the branch needs a new legislation. Those people who work honesty, want to have transparent and definite federal law that nobody can change. So this law will give a bit of peace and quiet both to the state, and to business. Now with the current legislation any person has the right to go in for gambling business. Therefore it is unacceptable to give a "carte blanche" only to the large companies. There should not be an obvious lobbying of the Bill. We need the balanced law satisfying all the state, large participants in the market and the small ones, and domestic producers.
Dmitry Seradzhedinov, deputy director Tornado - Ì:
The Law in gaming industry is a necessity. In the new law operating conditions of gaming business should be precisely stipulated. Now there are many controversial points, for example, concerning taxes. In my opinion, taxes should be equal in all regions. It is a discrimination, when in one region tax is 1,5 thousand rubles, and 7,5 thousands in another!
Valery Cheremisov, sales manager company MAXIMA:
It is very good, that they have rejected the Bill. Monopolization to which inevitably would come in case this law was adopted, would do no good neither to the state, nor to businessmen or gamblers. Besides, the Bill completely would kill domestic producers. Gaming branch is not only slot machines and casino operators, there are programmers, electronicians, metal workers and many other people involved in production of game equipment. Therefore it is not clear, what could the Bill bring to them in the form it was proposed? It is originally necessary to define the concept of development of game business in Russia.
Grachia Manvelian, general director of company Melly Gaming Technology:
Concerning the rejected bill I can tell only, I am glad it have been rejected. The law in branch is needed, but it is supposed to regulate quality of service offered, not the quantity of money in operator's pocket.
Tigran Arutyunyan, chief executive department of sales, Odrex:
It is obvious, that the law on regulation of the gambling industry is necessary in any country of the world. On the other hand, it is sure, that it should not be adopted it in the form it has been submitted in the Duma, therefore legislators have taken the right decision. The Bill should be modified. Because it did not correspond to interests of many companies which work in gaming industry. What should be the Law? We all are realists and we understand, that one Law will not please everyone, therefore it should be balanced to correspond the majority of interests, and they, as a rule, are very close to each other. The law should not restrain neither the rights of the large companies in the industry, not the interests of small business which successfully works and develops, offering time to time some new and fresh ideas.