In the Czech Republic and land-based casino operator Casino Kartac Group AS has reportedly lost out in its bid to negate the nation’s recently-instituted program that governs how interactive video lottery terminal (VLT) licenses are issued.
According to a short report from G3Newswire, the Ostrava-headquartered firm had been seeking approximately $65.49 million in compensation for lost profits after the government of President Milos Zeman passed legislation altering the way electronic gambling machine operating permits are granted. The source detailed that the company’s lawsuit alleged that the procedures the Finance Ministry now utilizes in issuing such licenses is flawed and should be abolished.
Double denial:
However, the legal action from Casino Kartac Group AS was reportedly thrown out by the Prague District Court after this body determined that the protocols used by the Finance Ministry are in line with national legislation. This defeat purportedly comes less than a month after the operator lost a similar $320.47 million claim that had related to its unsuccessful 2006 request for the legalization of online roulette.
Ministerial commendation:
Alena Schillerova serves as the Finance Minister for the Czech Republic and she reportedly used an official statement to praise the efforts of her office’s legal team while additionally highlighting the financial savings associated with the way they handled this matter.
Reportedly read a statement from Schillerova…
“The internal legal team again did an excellent job and has already defended many billions of crowns in the state in protracted lawsuits with this company. The courts have repeatedly ruled in our favor, which confirms our strong legal position. In addition, by managing these disputes without the involvement of external law firms, we have saved the state considerable financial resources.”