All Bets Are Off

Prove there’s a problem with gambling. Then maybe we’ll do something about it. We might even ban the herna bars that are breaking the law.

This seems to be the latest response from the Finance Ministry to local councils that don’t want gaming machines in their districts. It seems fairly absurd. However, in a country famous for its lenient stance on gambling, the situation in fact signals a breakthrough. The ministry's actions in the coming weeks will determine whether its offer to help councils curb gambling can be taken seriously. If events so far are any guide, however, it looks like herna bars and casinos may themselves soon fall on unlucky times.

In the past, city councils that have mounted campaigns against gambling have tended to get stuck on the same sad course. The councillors place limits on the number of gaming machines allowed in their precincts. This works for a while, but then the gambling menace returns. Only this time it’s in an even more pernicious form. The old slot machines are replaced by video lottery terminals (VLTs). The VLTs work on similar principles, but now it costs more to play them, and councils may not regulate their use. A single example will suffice: The city of Bohunín started off with 144 slot machines. This number was culled to 33, but sure enough, over the next two years, 70 VLTs moved in.

This mess can be blamed on a…