The Legislative Committee of the Hungarian National Assembly has submitted a legislation amendment on June 4, which could give the same extent to prohibited gambling operators and the accompanying tools or chambers insurance companies an up to three years imprisonment. This means the any individual who is involved in any gambling activity at a prohibited gambling operator can go to jail.
Gabor Staudt, a board member of Jobbik and Bárándy Gregory, vice president of the socialist committee, both considered to penalties a bit harsh, criticizing that the significant additional advertising activities should be a consistent punishment for committing the felony. Bárándy Gregory has taken the initiative to impose this imprisonment up to a year, but the proposal was rejected by the pro-government majority of the committee.
Répássy Robert, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice drew the attention of the offense is deliberate, and the fact that three years is punishable by a maximum of items, that the judge may consider to propose less.
These change are not by any means pointing to a legalizing of the online gambling market in Hungary, as a matter of fact lead to a much more difficult road ahead of the industry.
Whether this attempt to keep online gamblers out of the prohibited gambling operators will fail and will be ridiculed by the public, guess will have to wait and watch.
