Slovenia is a country in Central Europe that has been part of the EU for more than 15 years. As in most countries in the region, the gambling industry is legal in Slovenia. The gambling market is represented not only by land-based gambling establishments, but also by the online segment, in which some characteristic features can be noted.
On the territory of the state there are 16 casinos, as well as seven poker rooms and special rooms for playing bingo. Unlike other European capitals, Slovenian Ljubljana is not a center of gambling entertainment. The sports betting industry is represented by a monopoly bookmaker.
The work of remote casinos, bookmakers and lotteries also has certain legislative features, which will be discussed below.
Gambling legislation of Slovenia
The gambling law in force in Slovenia was adopted in 2012. The document was developed to ensure the harmonious and controlled development of the gambling industry. It involves special mechanisms to counteract fraudulent activities related to the gambling industry, and contributes to the fight against money laundering in the casino.
In addition, the document contains the rules necessary to respect the rights of minors, and describes measures to minimize the risk of gambling addiction.
According to Slovenian law, all gambling games can be divided into several groups: those in which users are opposed to each other; those in which the user is opposed to the casino; table games, entertainment using dice. Lotteries, betting operations and slot games are also included in separate subspecies.
In order to become an employee of the Slovenian casino, the applicant must obtain a special license. The permit is issued only to persons with the appropriate level of professional training and who do not have a criminal record.
All adult citizens can join gambling in Slovenia, but gambling establishments reserve the right to refuse to visit the client in case of violation of the internal rules of the casino.
From the point of view of the purpose of the gambling regulator, Slovenia has a model of the post-Soviet space. Here, the role of the controlling body is played by state agencies – the State tax service and the Ministry of internal Affairs.
Licensing features
Issuing licenses is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. The gambling operator undertakes to conclude a concession agreement with the government of the country.
To obtain a permit, the company must provide a package of mandatory documents. These include the name and legal address of the company, the Charter and an extract from the court register. In addition, the gambling operator should prepare a business plan for at least the first three years of the brand’s operation on the market. If we are talking about obtaining a license to operate a gambling establishment, the operator must provide a description of both the casino itself and the rules of gambling that will be offered to customers.
In addition, the Slovenian gambling regulator requests comprehensive information about the company’s owner and the company’s internal control rules. Before making a final decision on granting a license, the gambling regulator will coordinate its actions with the local community on the territory of which the gambling establishment will be located, as well as neighboring municipalities.
A favorable factor in obtaining a Slovenian gambling license can be an increase in the tourist attractiveness of the region. Negative – the dominance of gambling facilities in the region.According to Slovenian laws, no more than 45 licenses for gambling halls can be issued simultaneously in the country.
Protecting the rights of players
Slovenian gambling legislation provides for special mechanisms to protect the rights of players. These include the current self-exclusion program and the ability to set a monthly limit on gambling spending.
The online segment of the gambling industry in Slovenia
The appearance of news about the development of gambling in Slovenia is not regular. On the one hand, this is a kind of indicator of market stability, on the other-evidence of some conservation.
One of the last bright bursts of activity related to gambling occurred last year and was associated with the desire of some MPs to review and improve the legislation governing the online segment.
The essence of the innovations was to form a new controlled online gambling market. The need for changes was explained by the fact that users preferred the services of unlicensed foreign operators, while ignoring the betting monopoly-Športna Loterija.
The initiator of the innovations claimed that 85% of the revenue from the sports betting industry is exported from Slovenia due to outdated legislation. The adoption of the norm would have contributed to the attraction of additional funds in the amount of €500 thousand. however, the deputies did not support the initiative.
Perspectives
The key feature of the Slovenian gambling market is stability. The country is not prone to frequent revision of gambling legislation. This, however, does not prevent the proper level to ensure respect for the rights of players.
Recall that in Latvia will be banned from the operation of slot machines.