Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon and Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev are squaring off over the changes being planned by the Ministry of Finance in the legal gambling market in Israel. Regev is asking Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit for an urgent order that Kahlon's proposal for far-reaching changes in the legal gambling market be removed from the cabinet agenda and the Economic Arrangements Bill, sources inform "Globes."
In a letter sent to Mandelblit yesterday and obtained by "Globes," Regev attached a legal opinion by her ministry's legal adviser, Hadass Ferber-Almogi, stating, "There is no justification for including the matter in an 'economic policy booklet' with no special discussion of it, and certainly not in the framework of the Economic Arrangements Bill." Kahlon proposed that the cabinet adopt the conclusions of the committee for streamlining the legal gambling market in Israel, headed by Ministry of Finance director general Shai Babad. The committee's conclusions include recommendations on a restriction on the size of the gambling market, a ban on addictive games, reducing operating costs in Mifal Hapayis (Israel National Lottery) and the Council for the Regularization of Gambling in Sport, increasing tax rates on gambling profits, and restrictions involving the war against undisclosed capital.
In her letter, Regev alleged that the decision proposed to the cabinet by Kahlon on adopting the committee's recommendations included far-reaching changes in both the basic idea of legal gambling, and in relations between the state and the Council for the Regularization of Gambling in Sport and the structural consequences of the latter's proposal. On the other hand, Regev argued, the proposal had no consequences for state funds or the state budget, other than the "loan" from to the state by the Council for the Regularization of Gambling in Sport. According to Regev, all the changes are in far-reaching matters of structure or principle requiring in-depth public discussion. She therefore stated in her letter to the Attorney General, "There is no justification for them appearing in the Economic Arrangements Bill."
Regev is currently in Brazil with the Israeli Olympic delegation, and her letter complains that discussion of the changes in the gambling market will take place in her absence. Her letter takes the side of the Council for the Regularization of Gambling in Sport against Kahlon's proposed changes in the gambling market. Mifal Hapayis chairman Major General (res.) Uzi Dayan is alleging that the Ministry of Finance is trying to maneuver important changes in Mifal Hapayis's permit without any discussion with Mifal Hapayis management and the local authorities, which own Mifal Hapayis.
The Ministry of Finance said in response, "The committee for streamlining the gambling market examined economic management by Mifal Hapayis and the Council for the Regularization of Gambling in Sport, and listed a number of points that would make those agencies more efficient and increase the resources for the public's use and welfare. " The Ministry of Finance added, "Yesterday, Ministry of Finance director general Shai Babad met with the Sportoto CEO and chairman. The parties agreed that Mifal Hapayis's objections to the report would be worked out later in the process. It should be noted that Ministry of Culture and Sport director general Adv. Yossi Sharabi appeared before the committee before the committee made its recommendations. We regret that Regev is attempting to drag the discussion in the political arena. Mifal Hapayis is not the petty cash of any minister."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 9, 2016
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