Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said at the beginning of the government meeting on October 2 that he was not intimidated by the threats coming from the "slot machines industry." The executive will endorse the emergency ordinance by which all operators with this activity will have to be registered for tax proposes in Romania, he confirmed.

The PM spoke of such operators being currently headquartered in Transnistria – an unrecognized self-regulated pro-Russian region in Moldova, Hotnews.ro reported.

Prime minister Ciolacu also announced that the law currently in Parliament that pushes gambling shops outside the localities is entering the fast adoption procedure.

Marcel Ciolacu alleged that, during the Covid pandemic, "the gambling mob" managed to promote its interests at the level of the government – hinting at the facilities extended to these companies.

"I am convinced that the state authorities will shed light into how these intermediaries want to pressure certain politicians to make decisions in favour of this industry, as has happened in the past," PM Ciolacu warned.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)