Alarm mood at Casinos: Government is planning drastic cuts!

Alarm mood at Casinos: Government is planning drastic cuts!

In an urgent appeal, the Casinos Austria and the Austrian lotteries have focused on the current government talks to renovate budgets and warn of catastrophic consequences for the gaming industry. General Director Erwin van Lambaart and board director Martin Skopek express in a letter to the negotiation teams of the ÖVP and SPÖ that suggestions that are discussed as part of the discussions could threaten the economic basis of the company. The loss of essential income from massive tax increases and other cuts brings the existence of companies that also finance numerous sport initiatives, such as laola1.at reported.

Especially Austrian sport would be massively affected if the planned measures are implemented. The loss of sponsorship money could mean the end of many sports projects, including the sports of the disabled and the special Olympics. "This would question the ability to survive for Austria of highly relevant institutions," warn the company leaders. The group of companies invests around 120 million euros in sports funding annually. These funds could no longer be raised by the intended financial incisions, which would not only have worrying effects on individuals, but also on the entire society, according to the leaders of the companies. wko.at Casinos Austria AG does 12 domestic casinos and makes essential tax contributions for the country, which underlines its social responsibility.

The negotiations are under great pressure, and the possibility of closures at several casino locations could endanger hundreds of thousands of jobs, the urgent letter said. Such cuts would not only have devastating consequences for the companies themselves, but also for the entire media landscape and the legally controlled gaming market in Austria. The group of companies has always positioned itself as a reliable partner in times of crisis and offers to actively contribute their expertise to the discussions to find constructive solutions.