The Moldavian Government to End its Monopoly on Gambling
Published May 17, 2018 by Florin P
Two years after the crackdown on illegal gambling, the Moldavian government ends the monopoly over the gaming industry.
Since 2016 the Moldavian government has exercised a monopoly over the gambling industry through Agenția Proprietății Publice (APP). There’s a lot of interest from international operators and some casinos have already applied for a license. Novo Gaming M Technologies GmbH is a gaming division of the well-known Austrian company Novomatic. As soon as APP’s monopoly over gambling ends, they will be able to provide Moldavian players with access to online slots.
Novo Gaming will have to make a contribution of at least 51% of its revenue to the Moldavian National Lottery. The other operator that was granted a license to provide gambling services to local players is NGM SPC Limited. This company is a major player in the Bulgaria and gambling industry and has lottery games of its own. They are also subject to contract clauses that require them to make a significant contribution to the Moldavian National Lottery.
A Major Turning Point for Moldavian Gambling
In late 2016 the Moldavian authorities decided to crack down on illegal gambling. In a massive operation that involved hundreds of policemen, all casinos in the country were shut down. One month later, the Moldavian Parliament passed a law stating that all gambling activities should be controlled by the Moldavian National Lottery. This is owned by the controversial Bulgarian businessmen Vassil Bozhkov, whose name was at the center of a money-laundering scandal triggered by WikiLeaks’ documents.
For the gambling industry in Moldova this represents an important milestone and one that could benefit players directly. The two companies that have already secured a license will give local players more freedom of choosing their games of choice. More partnerships between state-owned companies and private organizations are expected, once the wheels are set in motion. Gambling companies from the European Union will be able to apply for a license in Moldova, under certain rules.
