The government has submitted amendments to the Gambling Act to parliament that would make the advertising of gambling much more restrictive and introduce a register of excluded players, which will be maintained by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) to prevent citizens from playing such games.

“Better regulations, especially within the framework of the National Action Strategy in the field of addiction, should reduce gambling addiction,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic as he introduced the bill to his cabinet on Thursday.

The proposal will restrict any possibility of minors participating in gambling

Finance Minister Marko Primorac emphasised that the bill focuses on two important areas – the regulation of new measures for the socially responsible organisation of gambling and the restriction of advertising.

An analysis of the implemented measures for the socially responsible organisation of gambling has shown that it is necessary to regulate stricter conditions for access to premises where gambling is organised, according to the draft amendment, which, if adopted after two readings in the Sabor, will impose the obligation to identify all players entering gambling establishments.

Lotteries will be exempt from this obligation because, as the bill makes clear, they represent a lower risk.

“The proposal to regulate access to gambling establishments will reduce the possibility of minors participating in gambling and allow for a more efficient procedure to exclude players,” the draft amendment states.

Prohibition and restrictions on advertising

The draft amendment regulates the advertising of games of chance much more restrictively.

An assessment of the existing legal framework, which prohibits advertising in radio and television programmes and printed materials for children, shows the inadequate regulation of gambling advertising, which usually stimulates player participation and consequently increases gambling addiction.

The bill extends the ban on advertising in all printed media, while restricting advertising via the internet and in television and radio programmes.

In particular, advertising for gambling will be banned between 6am and 11pm, except 15 minutes before, during and 15 minutes after a live sporting event. Advertising must warn that gambling can be addictive and that minors are prohibited from participating.

Low-risk lottery games, where the player is informed of the outcome of the game up to three times a week, as well as instant and express lottery games that use paper lottery tickets, are also exempt.

In an effort to reduce the incentive for players to participate in gambling, the advertising of bonuses is prohibited, except on the websites of licenced gambling operators. The advertising of games of chance in all media is prohibited in terms of content and at events intended for children and young people.

This draft law does not interfere with the issue of sponsorship, which means that bookmakers can continue to sponsor clubs and competitions.

Advertising for games of chance will also be prohibited on all publicly visible surfaces, with the exception of the outside surfaces of premises where such games take place.

In addition, the interior of the establishment where gambling is organised may not be visible from the outside.

Register of excluded players

The establishment of a register for excluded players is also new. In particular, a player who participates in games of chance and has an addiction problem can submit a request to the organiser to exclude them from the game. If such a request is made to an organiser, they will be denied access to games of chance organised by another organiser.

Requests can be made by the player themselves, as can requests for revocation. They can also be submitted by family protection and social welfare organisations, as well as by healthcare facilities that deal with the protection of mental health and addiction treatment.

The register of excluded players is kept by the HZJZ and the organisers are obliged to inform them and ensure that the person entered in the register does not participate in gambling. The deadline for setting up the register is 30 June 2026, by which time the HZJZ is obliged to set up a contact point for the exchange of data on excluded gamblers.

In the event of a consistent breach of the above measures, operators may be deprived of the right to organise games of chance and are obliged to harmonise their operations within six months of the law being passed.

A measure to block payments for games organised by unlicensed organisers on the internet is also proposed, to be implemented by banks and card houses.

“The changes aim to limit the mechanisms of responsible gambling organisation, its availability and the encouragement to participate. This will also lead to a reduction in addiction and its negative consequences, both for the individual and for society as a whole,” said Minister Primorac.