The European Gambling and Amusement Federation (EUROMAT) has formally objected to Croatia’s recent amendments to its Gambling Act, accusing the government of bypassing the required notification process with the European Commission.
In a submission dated 1 April, EUROMAT challenged Croatia’s failure to notify the Commission via the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS), as mandated by Directive (EU) 2015/1535. This procedure is compulsory for any national legislation that could impact access to services or the EU internal market.
The proposed changes to Croatia’s Gambling Act introduce sweeping responsible gambling measures, including mandatory player registration for venue access, a national self-exclusion register, stricter advertising controls, limits on where and when gambling venues can operate, and increased licensing and taxation requirements.
According to EUROMAT, these reforms fall under the category of technical regulations and should have been communicated to the Commission before implementation.
EUROMAT President Jason Frost said:
If the Commission is serious about protecting the integrity of the Internal Market, it must ensure that Member States follow EU law. I have recalled a similar situation in 2014 when Croatia was forced to withdraw a gambling bill after Commission intervention, highlighting the importance of the notification process. The Commission needs to intervene again—this time to ensure that Croatia actually submits the required notification.
Frost also stressed the need for consistency and accountability across the EU, warning that ignoring the notification requirement undermines legal certainty for businesses and sets a dangerous precedent for future regulatory breaches.
EUROMAT noted that Croatia had previously complied with the TRIS procedure in 2014 and 2023, making the current omission a significant deviation from past practice. Over 500 similar gambling-related notifications from other Member States are recorded in the TRIS database.
Filip Jelavic, General Secretary of the Croatian Gaming Association, supported EUROMAT’s position, stating:
It’s unthinkable that any EU Member State could push through such sweeping legal changes without adhering to the correct procedure. We urge the Croatian government to act responsibly and uphold EU law.
The proposed reforms have triggered backlash from both domestic and international stakeholders. A Croatian industry group recently warned that without revisions, the law could force 70% of the country’s gaming venues to close due to the heavy burden of new compliance demands.
EUROMAT’s complaint comes shortly after the Court of Justice of the European Union struck down a similar law in Lithuania on procedural grounds. If the Commission determines that Croatia has breached EU law, it could suspend the new regulations and potentially launch infringement proceedings.
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