The state lottery company registered a new daughter company, in cooperation with the Austrian gambling giant HTL. The move is reportedly coordinated by the powerful First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, after his DUI party initially tried to form a separate state lottery.

The new company will be called the New state video lottery or Novo VLT, and will likely focus on slot machines. Austria is a major player in the exploding gambling business in Macedonia, and its officials, including President Alexander van der Bellenn, have called on Macedonia not to curb the operations of the gambling companies.