A proposal for a new gambling tax regime for the funding of social initiatives has been tabled in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH).

Dennis Gratz, Bosnian MP, has called for a revision of how the money raised from gambling activity is distributed among the federation’s different economic and societal pillars.

As per the Balkan News Channel, the MP wants 60% of the tax income to fuel the FBiH’s treasury, 20% to go towards social programmes like sports, culture and youth education, and 20% to be set aside for the country’s Solidarity Fund – a specialised state initiative that helps people with serious disorders who lack the necessary funding for treatment.

Of particular importance is the Solidarity Fund, which Gratz argued had previously not been adequately funded through the FBiH’s Gambling Act. 

He added: “With these changes, every dollar invested in games of chance will have a purpose and make life more dignified and safer for the most vulnerable among us.”

Leveraging his tribune given to him as an MP, Gratz continued that these proposals should be looked at as the country’s legal obligation towards protecting and taking care of its citizens and most vulnerable individuals.

“No seriously ill child or young person should be left to fend for themselves due to lack of funds. This law is a step towards a society in which solidarity is not just a word, but a reality.”

While this could generally be considered as a step in the right direction, the political structure in the Balkan country makes something that looks right on paper very difficult to adopt across the whole nation.

Currently, the FBiH is one of the three autonomous regions forming Bosnia and Herzegovina – the other two being Republika Srpska and the Brčko District. 

With each having its own gambling regulations, a proposal like the one by Gratz will be a challenge to implement nation-wide unless there is a high level of collaboration present between gambling authorities. 

But as challenging as it could be, this also presents a chance for the sector to once again prove what it’s capable of when it comes to player protection.