The government is preparing a new Law on Games of Chance, and the reactions are split as ever when it comes to an industry that lives off addiction. The headline measure: a mandatory 500-metre distance between casinos/slot clubs and schools. On top of that - restrictions on advertising aimed at young people.

The industry reacted instantly. The Association of Gambling Organisers (APIS) called the measures discriminatory and potentially unconstitutional. By their estimate, the law will cost the state around 350 million euros a year and wipe out roughly 10,000 jobs. The „I Want to Work” trade union joined the criticism - its members work in the industry and fear for their future.

The opposite view comes from Levica. The party says 500 metres isn't enough - casinos should be pushed out of urban areas altogether, into border regions and tourist zones. It is the logical extension of their philosophy: if the industry manufactures addiction and poverty, let it inflict that pain in places where there are no schools and no families.

One critical point the law's analysis is missing: it almost entirely ignores online gambling platforms. That is a massive blind spot, because online gambling has exploded in recent years - children and teenagers can play poker and bet on matches through their phones, and no amount of physical distance helps. A law that focuses only on walls while the doors are wide open online is political theatre.

The numbers behind this are grim. Macedonia has one of the highest per-capita gambling rates in Europe. Families fall apart, savings vanish, the psychological terror inside the homes of compulsive gamblers cannot be measured. Just in the last five years, demand on NGOs supporting addicts has grown dramatically, while institutional care still lags behind.

There is no easy fix. If you shut down every casino, the industry slips into the grey zone - illegal clubs will open underground, and those working there won't pay tax. If you leave them where they are, the next generation of teenagers will have the same problem as today's. A balanced policy needs both physical and online restrictions, serious addiction support and proper education for children. So far, the law covers only one of the three.

Parliament will debate the proposal shortly. Expect sharp arguments, political theatre, and a final solution that will be a compromise with no real bite. That's the fate of most Macedonian laws meant to protect citizens - they're written for marketing, not for results.