Regulatory Influencer: Croatian Government Curtails Gambling Advertising and Bolsters Player Protection

On April 11, 2025, the Croatian Parliament unanimously adopted the final proposal of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Games of Chance.

The law was then published in Croatia’s official gazette on April 23, 2025 and entered into force on May 1, 2025. 

The amendments are part of the government’s commitment to reform Croatia’s gambling laws and were drafted by the government alongside the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The bigger picture

The principal gambling legislation in Croatia is the Law on Games of Chance, and the new amendments to this law specifically focus on increasing advertising restrictions and responsible gambling measures.

When introducing the amendments into Parliament, Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković said that the government wanted to reduce the negative impact of gambling on its citizens, especially young people, due to the development of online gambling in recent years.

The prime minister also raised the need to reduce gambling addiction in Croatia and regulate gambling in a more effective way. Statistics reveal that 73% of high school students have gambled at least once, with 13% showing signs of gambling-related harm. Additionally, approximately 5% of the adult population and 6% of young adults suffer from gambling disorders.

However, the latest amendments have provoked some negative reactions in Croatia.

The Croatian Association of Game Operators (HUPIS) has expressed some concerns that the amendments to the country’s gambling framework represent an “inappropriate regulatory burden”, which could negatively affect gambling operators, employment within the industry and help promote the illegal gambling market.

In addition, the European Gaming and Amusement Federation (EUROMAT) recently submitted an objection to the European Commission regarding Croatia’s failure to notify the Commission of the proposed amendments according to the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) procedure and European law.

Why should you care?

The amendments to the Law on Games of Chance have added significant restrictions on gambling advertising in Croatia. The following provisions have been introduced according to Article 67, several of which require operators to achieve compliance by January 1, 2026:

• Gambling advertising is now prohibited in all media, content and events that are intended for children and young people.
• All gambling advertising via the internet and in printed media, in all audiovisual and radio programmes, and in the content of electronic publications between 6am and 11pm will be prohibited. There is an exception to the prohibition for the advertising of low-risk lottery games and for advertising on the websites of online gambling operators.
• Any advertising that offers bonuses, free spins or similar incentives will also be prohibited.
• Gambling advertising must contain the following warning messages:
  • A warning that games of chance can cause addiction.
  • A warning that prohibits the participation of minors in any game of chance.
• Gambling advertising on all publicly visible surfaces will be prohibited. To the best of Vixio’s knowledge, gambling advertising on billboards would be included in this prohibition.

Sponsorship restrictions have also been imposed under Article 67 of the new amendments:

• As of the start of 2026, all sponsored advertising by a gambling operator may contain the company name, a display of the logo and recognisable marks of the operator’s service, however, they must not contain other features that invite or refer to gambling.
• The appearance of celebrities and influencers in advertising games of chance will not be permitted via the internet, audiovisual and radio programs, content of electronic publications, printed media or on publicly visible surfaces as of January 1, 2026.
• Content creators on social networking sites are prohibited from promoting and advertising any games of chance or from live-streaming games of chance. 

Article 67 of the amendments to the Law on Games of Chance also adds additional responsible gambling requirements for gambling operators, including:

• A player participating in a lottery, casino, betting, or slot machine game and/or in remote lottery games may request exclusion from the game by submitting a request via an exclusion form to the gambling operator. This will need to be done in writing or electronically, as well as electronically, directly to the register of excluded players.
• Self-exclusion requests may also be submitted directly to the register by an authorised employee of the Croatian Institute for Social Work, or by family protection or health institutions that deal with mental health protection and addiction treatment.
• Self-exclusion requests may also be submitted by the competent body when it comes to the implementation of protective measures and special obligations imposed in court proceedings, without the consent of the player.
• The Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) shall establish and maintain a register of excluded players, which contains data on the excluded players. This register must be established by June 30, 2026.
• Gambling operators are required to submit data on excluded players to the register immediately upon receipt of the request for exclusion, which should be done no later than 24 hours from receipt.
• Gambling operators are required to make sure that excluded players do not participate in games of chance.

The CIPH is also obliged to establish a contact point for the exchange of data on excluded players within 90 days of the law coming into effect, until the register of excluded players has been established.

In addition, gambling operators must exchange data on excluded players within 90 days from the date of establishing the contact point by the CIPH. 

Key actions to remain compliant

As a result of the amendments, the increase in advertising restrictions and responsible gambling requirements will require operators to take action to ensure compliance, including:

• Reviewing advertising and sponsorship procedures: To check that any current or future advertising is compliant with the new advertising prohibition and restrictions.
• Implementing self-exclusion request procedures: To make sure that procedures are available so players can submit self-exclusion forms.
• Updating responsible gambling processes and procedures: To ensure that data on any excluded players has been submitted to the register of excluded players immediately upon receipt of the request for exclusion, and done so no later than 24 hours from receipt.
• Reviewing player protection controls: To ensure that self-excluded players are not able to participate in games of chance during their exclusion period, and that technical systems apply the correct exclusion period for different players depending on their self-exclusion request.
• Ensuring compliance with implementation dates: To implement any necessary changes to achieve compliance with advertising and responsible gambling changes before the January 1, 2026, deadline set out in the law.

The government has stated that they will establish a new dedicated regulatory agency to monitor compliance and conduct of gambling operators (online and land-based), and will impose fines and licence revocations if operators do not implement and abide by the new amendments.