ZAGREB, 11 April (Hina) – The Croatian Parliament on Friday unanimously amended the Gambling Act, with 131 votes in favour and one of the key changes is the ban on placing betting terminals in hospitality establishments, effective from the start of next year.

The Gambling Act introduces measures for socially responsible gambling operations, mandatory identification of all players, the establishment of a register of excluded players, regulation of Sunday operations, and restrictions on advertising gambling.

Advertising will be prohibited from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the internet, in audiovisual and radio programmes, as well as in electronic publications. It will also be banned in printed media and public advertising spaces, and the visibility of gambling premises will be reduced. Sponsorship advertising is not necessarily banned but may only include the company’s name, logo, and brand name of the organiser.

Additionally, the law bans the appearance of celebrities and media influencers in gambling advertisements, as well as their promotion by content creators on social media.

Gambling businesses will have their Sunday operations limited to a maximum of 16 Sundays per year, in line with regulations governing retail working hours.

The law also changes tax brackets for winnings, with a 10% tax rate on betting winnings of up to €100, while lottery winnings of the same amount will be tax-free. Winnings from €100 to €1,500 will be taxed at 10% in both categories, from €1,500 to €4,000 at 15%, from €4,000 to €70,000 at 20%, and winnings of over €70,000 will be taxed at 30%.