Orban Allies Win 35-Year Casino Contracts Before Elections
- Licenses weren’t due to expire for another three years
- Government says move will generate extra budget revenue
A customer plays roulette in a casino in Budapest.
Photographer: Ferenc Isza/AFP/Getty Images
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government extended his allies’ Budapest casino licenses until 2056, acting less than a year before hotly contested parliamentary elections.
The permits to operate five casinos wouldn’t have expired until 2024, according to the Telex website, which was first to report the news. The government gaming authority, which is overseen by Orban’s chief of staff, listed the extensions on its website.