Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is leading the country in calls to develop comprehensive reforms for the nation’s gambling laws. This comes after concerns were recently raised by members of the public and leaders across the political divide about the need to modernize and revamp Croatia’s Gambling Act of 2009. The country’s PM said that he had received concerns from municipal leaders and city mayors, which was an act that had pushed him to front the draft decree from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

In his address to Parliament, Plenkovic pointed out that:

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

This new push move by the Croatian government is widely seen as a wake-up call to the industry, as the gambling scene is veering in a not-so-pleasant direction. The initiative by the PM aims to tackle pertinent issues facing the gambling industry, like gambling addiction, lack of proper regulatory frameworks, and the socioeconomic impact of gambling activities, especially on the country’s vulnerable population.

Finance Minister Marko Primorac, on his part, urged his fellow ministers to back HDZ’s decree to fast-track the necessary changes needed to rework Croatian gambling laws. He said in part:

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

Stricter Regulation and Oversight

Plenkovic and the coalition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) government have previously faced a lot of criticism for their seeming inaction on the gambling addiction that’s been creeping into the industry. For instance, according to the country’s opposition wing, more than 40,000 Croats have problem gambling issues, and the government is yet to take substantive action to address these concerns.

Thankfully, with new measures drafted by Finance Minister Marko Primorac, the country is seeking to strengthen its regulations, specifically targeting gambling advertising, protection of minors, and promoting responsible gambling practices.

Additionally, one of the guidelines the Croatian government wants to enforce is enhanced scrutiny of operators. This would entail deploying regular audits of the operators to ensure they are entirely on board with the new regulations. Croats can also expect the enforcement of stricter licensing requirements for gambling operators to ensure that only reputable and financially secure entities can operate in the country, therefore ensuring that the players are highly protected. 

The backs of gambling regulators found to contravene industry regulations will also be on the wall. Under the new codes of conduct, licensed operators found to break the rules constantly will be disqualified. Croatian banks have also been ordered to block the transactions of all the operators that haven’t been licensed by the government.

Combating Problem Gambling

As already pointed out, part of the reason why there has been such a rallying call by the masses to implement gambling reforms is the alarming number of gambling addiction cases. This is particularly alarming for a small country whose population is just north of 3 million.

As such, there have been pertinent nationwide discussions on the measures that need to be taken to combat gambling addiction, with the primary consideration being ways to protect the youthful population, who are the most vulnerable to gambling addiction cases. One of the measures being proposed is a strict code on gambling advertising. This code will prohibit gambling-related adverts from being displayed in public outdoor spaces and print media.

Should these restrictions be implemented, they will also apply to Croatian media, which will be required to adopt restrictive controls for the ads being displayed on TV, radio, and other digital platforms. For TV stations, gambling ads will be prohibited from 6 am to 11 pm because this is the time that it is assumed that the young population will be active. Of course, it goes without saying that youngsters are the population that needs the most protection from problem gambling.

There will, however, be an exemption on live sports broadcasts for these ads. Under the newly proposed gambling measures, online media will also be prevented from promoting online gambling perks like bonuses and free wagers.

Meanwhile, media owners and broadcasters will also be required to ensure that the target population for their ads is strictly limited to persons above the legal Croatian wagering age of 18 years. Also, all the gambling ads these media houses air will need to carry problem gambling warnings and bits of advice on responsible practices.

Ramped Up Plans to Protect Minors

The Croatian government is also establishing measures that will be focused on protecting the youthful population from any gambling-related ills. While the HDZ has yet to specify how this will be implemented fully, there are plans to roll out comprehensive exemption measures.

That said, those measures won’t apply to the Hrvatska Lutrija, Croatia’s national lottery, which is considered to be low-risk gaming in many quarters. As for land-based establishments, the Croatian government will require them to appropriately identify all the players accessing their establishments to ascertain that these punters aren’t minors. 

Part of the protection measures will also entail establishing mandatory self-exclusion programs. These programs will require the establishment and maintenance of a self-seclusion list by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ). This register will act as a form of deterrent for players with problem gambling cases from engaging in a risk to their psychological health and finances.

Besides players, family, doctors, and social care workers may make requests for players to be included in this register to level up protection for any potentially vulnerable person. This means that the person listed on this list will be indefinitely excluded from participating in gambling activities. The HDZ government plans to set up a self-exclusion register by 2026.