Municipalities and administrative districts across Serbia have been instructed to enforce new laws and standards for gambling venues and franchises.
This directive follows the fast-tracking of new “protective amendments” approved by parliament under the Law on Games of Chance of the Republic of Serbia (2011).
Authorities in Serbia’s 29 districts and 190 municipalities have been tasked with reviewing and verifying the licenses and customer protection measures of local arcades, betting shops, and bingo halls.
Inspections will assess whether venues are compliant with mandatory age verification measures to enforce the prohibition of minors from participating in gambling activities.
Further requirements mandate that venues prominently display warnings about gambling addiction to customers through posters and notices, which must also provide information about certified treatment facilities.
Local authorities must ensure that venues comply with new regulations on food and beverages, which stipulate that alcohol served must have a content of less than 5% and cannot be provided to customers who are gambling on sports or using slot machines.
For arcades and venues with gaming machines, compliance checks will include ensuring adherence to licensing fee requirements. Venues must pay a 15% base fee calculated on the difference between the total value of wagers and the total value of winnings from slot machine games.
Sports betting franchises are required to pay a 15% base fee on sports wagering, with a minimum fee equivalent to €1,000 (in dinar value) for each registered betting shop.
Local mayors have been given a deadline of July 1 to complete these checks and report their findings on gambling venues and their individual licenses to the government. The compliance sweep was prompted by Serbia’s State Attorney, who demanded that local authorities explain why multiple gambling licenses had been issued in rural towns and districts.
The gambling venue review is being conducted under the newly reformed Law on Inspection Oversight and the Law on General Administrative Procedure, which grant expanded federal oversight to Serbia’s government.
Calls for an immediate overhaul of Serbia’s gambling laws have been led by the Green-Left Front (ZLF), which in November proposed a series of amendments, including a ban on gambling advertising and sponsorships.
Serving his third term as President, Aleksandar Vučić has faced criticism for alleged inaction on gambling-related disorders. Opposition parties have claimed that Serbian authorities lack the resources to properly assess the scale of gambling addiction in local communities.
In 2023, a report on ‘citizens lifestyles‘ by Public Health Serbia revealed that 30% of youths aged 15-19 had gambled, ranking Serbia as the worst among Balkan nations.
The ZLF has accused the SNS (Serbian Progressive Party) of blocking its proposals, claiming that President Vučić and SNS ministers are prioritising the commercial interests of Serbian football clubs and their betting partnerships.
The SNS responded by stating that a review of Serbia’s gambling laws is ongoing, with President Vučić prioritising proposals submitted by the SNS and its coalition partner, the SPS (Socialist Party of Serbia). Vučić has adopted a stricter scrutiny on all proposals for changes to Serbia’s business and compliance laws as he aims to secure full European Union (EU) membership by the end of the 2020s