Croatia is fast-tracking urgent gambling reforms

Garance Limouzy July 15, 2024

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Croatia is fast-tracking urgent gambling reforms

Croatia’s Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovi?, has announced his decision to change the current gambling laws by submitting a draft decree to parliament.

An urgent reform

In the past, opposition leaders have questioned the government’s ability to address gambling addiction, arguing that their efforts have been insufficient, as there are an estimated 40,000 problem gamblers in Croatia. The Prime Minister and his party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), have now taken the first steps toward what he considers to be an urgent reform of the Gambling Act. The Prime Minister has asked the parliament and his government to fast-track the proposed amendments.

Regulated market since 2009

In Croatia, the gambling market was first regulated in 2009. The Gambling Act was then amended in 2015 to keep pace with the rapidly evolving market. In the last 9 years, despite frequent parliamentary debates on gambling and iGaming, no new amendments have been proposed—until now.

Plenkovi? declared to the Parliament: “Gambling has spread significantly through the digital space, and we must consider its detrimental impact on young generations. We need to influence the reduction of gambling addiction and much better regulate this activity.”

Advertising

The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Plenkovi?’s draft law aim to protect the population from gambling-related harm. They propose stricter regulations on advertising, including banning ads in public outdoor spaces and print media. The draft law also imposes more restrictive rules for gambling ads on radio, TV, and social media, implementing a watershed that bans ads from 6 AM to 11 PM. Additionally, bonuses and free bets will no longer be promoted in online media.

Underage gambling and self-exclusion programme

To protect the most vulnerable, HDZ is promoting responsible gambling, reinforcing the self-exclusion programme, and safeguarding minors. The proposed law mandates that casinos and other land-based gambling venues strengthen their customer identification processes.

New compliance framework

The law also aims to improve monitoring of operators’ compliance with Croatian regulations. Licensed operators that fail to adhere to the rules could face license revocation. The government also plans to block payments to unlicensed operators.