Croatia to increase gambling revenues for social programmes
The share of Croatian gambling revenue directed to public interest initiatives will almost double this year.
Croatia.- Chief State Treasurer Danijela Stepić has confirmed that her office has been authorised to distribute €214m in funds from gambling revenue to social programmes this year. That’s a rise from roughly €130m in the previous cycle.
The increased distribution come under the government’s annual Regulation on the Criteria for the Distribution of Revenues from Games of Chance. According to the Ministry of Finance, €144m will be generated from projected gambling revenues, while €70m will be carried over from unspent 2025 funds.
Speaking at a Ministry of Finance conference, Stepić said the allocation model is based on “analyses of priority sectoral problems,” reflecting the needs of public institutions and civil society organisations.
Funding will be reserved for programmes “supporting the development of civil society and will finance activities that contribute to improving the quality of life in all areas of social life”. This will include sport, culture, technical education, addiction prevention and treatment, social and humanitarian services, organisations supporting people with disabilities and non‑institutional education for children and young people.
The measure follows reforms introduced by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the ruling Democratic Union (HDZ) government. After securing a third consecutive term in 2024, Plenković accelerated amendments to the Games of Chance Act to confront what officials describe as a growing gambling addiction crisis.
Public health authorities estimate that around 40,000 adults suffer from severe gambling disorders, and Croatia records some of the highest rates of problem gambling among teenagers in the Balkans.
Initial reforms banned self‑service gambling terminals in cafés, bars, kiosks and restaurants, and prohibited betting shops from serving alcohol. Fiscal changes included a 50 per cent increase in licence fees for online and land‑based operators, alongside a tiered tax on player winnings ranging from 10 per cent to 30 per cent. The highest rate applies to prizes between €1,500 and €70,000.
In November, the government announced the launch of a gambling self-exclusion system and other regulatory measures intended to increase oversight of the market. Registar Igrača self-exclusion registry is managed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ). All operators had to integrate with the system by January 1, 2026.
