The people of the iconic UNESCO listed town of Český Krumlov thought they had completely gotten rid of gambling for good a few years ago.
Recently, however, city officials decided they would make an exception and sign off on a full-sized casino with roulette, slots, and poker tables in the city’s OldInn Hotel, triggering a petition to stop it.
Petra Lewis, a resident of the town who filed the petition, told Český rozhlas České Budějovice that the casino would not be a good look for the town.
“This type of casino is open 24 hours a day. So families with children living next to the casino won’t be happy, plus taxis will be stopping there… It’s supposed to be just opposite of the town hall, so it doesn’t seem like a good look to me at all…”
Deputy Mayor of Český Krumlov Josef Hermann from KDU-ČSL is also against the casino but was outvoted by the opposition.
“The health and social aspects are really significant, casinos aren’t a game, they definitely bring problems.”
On the other hand, another member of the city council, Martin Hák, supports the idea.
“When I see how casinos work in Austria, in tourist centres such as Baden, it makes me think that the city of Český Krumlov needs to offer something like that. And since this vision came from a partner who runs two large hotels here, I supported the idea.
The petition has gathered enough signatures to force the city to reassess the initiative, which they will do in another meeting later this month.
