Only the Government was permitted to physically organize games of chance through the State Lottery, whereas Casinos Austria held that exclusive right solely online, defense attorneys said at the continuation of the hearing in the State Lottery case on Wednesday.
In the case, ex-State Lottery Director Perparim Bajrami and former DPM Grubi are among those charged with embezzlement in the procurement of video lottery terminals for the State Lottery valued at 9.7 million euros.
Presenting objections to the Prosecutor’s Office’s evidence, the defense said that since the Government had had the legal right to organize games of chance, procuring machines for that explicit purpose did not constitute a crime. It added that the terminals remained on the premises of the State Lottery.