Moldovan authorities will adjust their proposals for taxing the gambling sector to ensure that new fiscal measures do not push players toward the illegal market, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said at a press conference on Wednesday, according to Omniapres.md.
One of the government’s priorities will be to step up efforts against illegal gambling platforms operating in Moldova. At the same time, some restrictions on advertising by licensed gambling operators could also be reviewed.
“We need to tax [the sector], but we must not do it in a way that would send players into the black market,” Tofan said.
The prime minister said the state should focus its efforts on platforms that illegally provide gambling services in Moldova.
“We need to intervene there and shut down websites that do not have the right to operate in our country,” Tofan said.
At the same time, the government could reconsider the current restrictions on advertising for legal gambling operators.
Tofan specifically referred to the position of the National Lottery, which he said is disadvantaged compared with foreign platforms that continue to invest in advertising and attract players from Moldova.
“We have now placed significant restrictions on advertising by the National Lottery, and the intention was a good one […] but we have put it in a position where it cannot compete on equal terms with players from other countries who invest in advertising and do whatever they want,” Tofan explained.
The prime minister said the government needs to find a compromise between increasing taxation of the gambling sector and creating conditions that would allow legal operators to compete with the gray and illegal markets.