The beleaguered Polish government’s attempts to take the heat off politicians by passing more restrictive gambling laws moved a step further Friday as Parliament passed laws that confine gambling to licensed land casinos and phase out the slot machines currently found in many Polish cafes, clubs, shops and service stations.
“Barring any surprises, I hope the president will be able to affix his signature [to the new laws] as of November 30,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Agence France Presse news agency.
The Polish Senate voted for the changes by 48 votes to 3, with 30 abstentions, endorsing the approval of the new legislation in the lower parliamentary chamber Thursday
The decision, which applies to online as well as offline gambling, comes nearly a month and a half after Tusk was forced to fire several key ministers and political allies over allegations of influence peddling within his cabinet regarding gambling legislation.