Croatia PM Proposes Urgent Gambling Act Reforms
A self-exclusion register managed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health is to be established by 2026, allowing players or their families to request exclusion.
Croatia's Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, has proposed urgent reforms to the 2009 Gambling Act, addressing concerns about gambling exposure. The draft, prepared by Finance Minister Marko Primorac, includes ad restrictions such as banning gambling ads in public spaces and print media, limiting TV ads to between 11pm and 6am, and prohibiting online gambling incentives.
Additionally, a self-exclusion register managed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health is to be established by 2026, allowing players or their families to request exclusion.
The reforms also require land-based venues to identify all entrants and restrict promotional activities to within the premises. A new compliance framework will disqualify operators for repeated violations, and banks will block payments to unlicensed operators.
Plenkovic emphasized the need to mitigate gambling's negative impacts on youth, while Primorac highlighted the goal of reducing addiction and its societal harm. This move follows criticism of the government's inaction on gambling issues and comes ahead of the May election.
