Warsaw - Poland's government approved a draft law Tuesday that would ban slot machines outside casinos and raise taxes for the industry, the prime minister's chancellery said Tuesday. According to the draft law, there will be no new permits issued to existing facilities with slot machines, while video lotteries will be banned.
The draft law needs approval from the parliament and the president, Lech Kaczynski. Both the parliament and Kaczynski are expected to approve it.
The announcement comes weeks after Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government was hit by a scandal in which several ministers were accused of lobbying on behalf of the gambling industry.
Tusk forced several ministers to resign in a move that was seen as an effort to shore up his faltering approval ratings in advance of next year's presidential election, in which he is rumoured to be a candidate.
