Former Yugoslav states plan joint lottery

Seven countries that emerged from old Yugoslavia plan a joint lotto game, the first common project among nations that were embroiled in war in the 1990s, a Bosnian lottery official said on Wednesday.
The idea dates back nearly a decade but serious talks began only last year. Lingering tension between the former Yugoslav republics or provinces have hitherto foiled such cooperation since the bloody break-up of the Balkan federation.
"This is not about uniting. It is a clear economic interest of lotteries that want to overcome limits of their national markets," said Edhem Pasukan, director of the Lottery of Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of Bosnia's two lotteries.
"Such a rare consent shows immediately that interest is at stake," he told Reuters.
The proposed new lotto is modelled on the pan-European lottery "Euro Millions" and would dangle higher jackpots by bringing together Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia's former province of Kosovo, said Pasukan.
Serbia typically boycotts events involving Kosovo as it does not recognise its independence. But Serbian officials confirmed that Belgrade have taken part in the joint lottery talks, while noting that a full agreement remained to be negotiated.
Slovenia also confirmed interest in the project. Officials from the other countries could not be reached for comment.
Pasukan said that national lotteries were expected to sign contracts outlining technical details by October and then their respective governments needed to approve the project, which he said could kick off in the second half of 2011.