New details were added (the first version was published at 2:26 p.m)
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 18 / Trend M. Aliyev /
Official bookmakers began to operate in Azerbaijan today.
The first game, in which bets are accepted, was a friendly match Kasimpasha (Turkey) - "Khazar-Lankaran" (Azerbaijan). It will start at 5.00 Baku time. By giving 10 manat for victory of the Azerbaijani club, a person will receive 26 manat if the club wins.
Azinteltek company, operating to open the points for receiving stake, prepared POS-terminals and conducted trainings to use this equipment.
The Ministry of Taxes and the Ministry of Finance made a decision for the tax on this activity to hit up to six percent. All offices and points, working on an illegal basis, will suspend their operations.
The matches of the Azerbaijani Premier League are not planned to be included.
Aug.23, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers identified the share of funds from the activities of sports totalizators directed towards the development of physical culture and sports in the country.
According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, roughly 4.2 percent of the funds made by the players of sports betting, will be directed to develop physical culture and sport in Azerbaijan.
Thus, the Azerbaijani government legalized the activities of bookmakers in the country.
The Youth and Sport Ministry established the Azeridmanservis department, which will undertake management of the sport totalizators together with the Turkish company "Inteltex".
During the presentation director general of Azeridmanservis Ltd Azer Maharramov said that the bookmaker offices will operate in Baku and the Absheron peninsula at the first stage. They will appear in Ganja and other cities of Azerbaijan. "The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Taxes will control the terminals. It will ensure transparency of the bookmakers," Maharramov said.
He said that roughly 70-80 agents are imvolved to this activity. Their number will increase up to 200-300 in Baku.
During the presentation director general of CJSC "Azerinteltek" Ahmet Sezer said that the coefficients of stakes, to be received in Azerbaijan, will not yield to foreign competitors.
He said that the number of terminals will be increased up to 650 in the first year of activity.
