Found a casino but believe it's not working

The Inspection for Games of Chance discovered five poker and roulette tables in the machine club "Casino Cattaro" in Kotor for which the organizer does not have a concession, but did not punish them because it found that they were not using them, the Directorate for Inspection Affairs told "Vijesta" .

Live game tables such as poker and roulette require a casino license, which costs two million euros at the time of opening and 50.000 euros per year, which this organizer did not pay.

On November 25 of last year, "Vijesti" forwarded to the Gambling Inspectorate links that lead to a website advertising casino games in the avo automat club, as well as photos from social networks showing the interior of this illegal casino with several tables on with a poker or roulette game in progress. There are also notifications about how much the game chips cost.

Shortly after "Vijesti" forwarded those links to the inspection, the organizer shut down the site and deleted the controversial photos from social networks. In the meantime, the inspectorate told "Vijesta" twice that the investigation was ongoing. Last week, "Vijesti" published an article entitled "Wild casino in Kotor has been working for years, inspection investigates", with photos showing disputed tables with croupiers, players and game chips.

During the inspection, the tables were not working

The Inspectorate replied yesterday that the inspection of the company "Cattaro Company group" was completed in the slot machine club located in Kotor, in the Škaljari settlement at the address Put prvoboraca number 230. The first inspection, as they stated, was on December 1.

"On that occasion, it was established that he owns a concession contract for the organization of games of chance on twenty-nine machines and one electronic roulette with six slots. In addition to the slot machines, five tables for games with cards and balls have been set up in a spatially separated part of the slot club - which are not used and for the use of which DOO "Cattaro Company group" has not concluded a concession contract for games of chance in the casino. At the time of the inspection, as well as during two other inspections, the tables were not in operation, i.e. there were no players, croupiers, chips, money, etc., so no irregularities were found in these inspections, i.e. there was no need to take measures", they stated. from the Gaming Inspection.

According to the photos from social networks and the casino's website, which "Vijesti" sent to the inspection, it is clearly seen that those tables are in operation, that casino games are advertised and that there are a large number of players who visit them and participate in those games of chance for which they do not have a permit or pay a concession.

Manager's statement, against photos

In their response, the inspection did not mention these photos and data from the organizer's website, but they cited the manager's statement as proof that the casino tables are not working.

"According to the manager of the slot machine club, the tables were brought to the slot machine club several years ago, when changes to the law on games of chance were announced and when they planned to register for organizing games of chance in the casino, and considering that the law has not been changed, the tables for games of chance in the casino remained in the premises of the facility", stated in the response of the Inspectorate.

The organizer was not punished, but "during the surveillance, the subject of surveillance was ordered to remove the casino gaming tables from this facility."

"The control inspection will be carried out in the following period to determine whether the entity has acted in accordance with the inspector's order," the inspection stated.

The Revenue and Customs Administration, which includes the gaming sector, told "Vijesta" that "Casino Cattaro" has a license only for games of chance on machines, not for casino games, and that the jurisdiction of the Inspection for Games of Chance is to control the legality of the operator's work. They also said that the license refers to the company "Cattaro company group".

The owner and director of this company is a well-known businessman from Tivat Rado Arsic, who deals with construction, hotel management, catering, games of chance... He was a partner in several businesses Aca Đukanović, the brother of the president of the state Milo Đukanović, and has joint business with Miloš Medenica, the son of the former supreme state prosecutor and until recently president of the Supreme Court Vesne Medenica.