Slovenia close to online sports betting
The National Assembly voted in favour of a bill that would allow operators to apply for online sports betting licences.
Slovenia.- The National Assembly of Slovenia has voted 35-26 in favour of a bill that supports European Economic Community-based operators to apply for online sports betting licenses. The current regime in the country only allows Športna Loterija to offer sports betting services.
The bill introduced by MP Branko Zorman in January is seeking to raise additional funds for national sports and humanitarian organisations. While Zorman is a member of the coalition Modern Center Party (SMC), which currently governs the European territory, the party never got to approve the bill.
The vote that took place on Thursday was opposed by the government, and it even said that the bill might not comply with European Union law. Zorman said that the state monopoly is not natural as 85 per cent of Slovenia’s gambling industry is handled by internationally licensed operators. As the MP said, the only thing the bill would change is the possibility of the state obtaining a piece of the untaxed revenue.
The bill establishes that online sports betting licenses would need to pay €500k, while the annual share of revenue that the government receives would increase from €3.5 million to €13 million.
