Israeli Government Officials Approved the Legalization of Electronic Games of Chance

Last week Mifal Hapayis, Israel's national lottery (one of the only two licensed in Israel to operate gambling services) has received a permit for operating slot machines after a compromise between the Chief of Police and representatives from both the Israeli Ministry of Justice and Finance, as reported by http://www.slots.cd.

"The electronic slot machines which the company operates are illegal, although they are meant to imitate their approved lottery ticket services. They are no different in any way from illegal slot machines. Both types of these electronic machines answers to the definition of a prohibited gambling game as stated in section 224 of the Israeli Penalty Law", said Sub-Commissioner Jacky Berry, the head of the investigations division of the Israeli police force, in the Knesset's (Israeli parliament) finance committee which assembled last week.

Following that report, Knesset member Amnon Cohen which is the head of the Knesset's finance committee, demanded that the 500 slot machines, which were situated all over Israel, are to be taken back immediately. More over, http://www.slots.cd reports that Mr. Cohen criticized the mode of action taken by the Ministry of Justice, which merely relied on a compiled report by the Ministry of Finance, without properly inquiring the subject.

Rani Lobstein, the assistant to the minister of finance, had stated that his department does not investigate the lottery service on a daily basis, though the permit for operating the electronic slot machines was granted after being examined bythe legal advisor of the ministry of finance.

The representative of the ministry of justice, attorney Roni Talmor, said that indeed the bureau had relied solely on the information submitted by the ministry of finance. Both ministry of finance and the ministry of justice state that the claims of the police are only now heard of.

Only a day after these vicissitudes of fate the Police altered their stand in a joined meeting of representatives from the ministries, police and "Mifal Ha'payis". Gideon Ezra, Minister of Public Security, who directed the meeting, advised that in the future these permits are to be inquired and granted not by the legislative authority's commissions. The representatives from all sides have agreed that the company will act to increase the visual differences between their electronic slot machines and the illegal machines, thus ending the dispute.