EUROMAT Files Complaint Over Croatia’s Gambling Act Changes

Regulatory stability in Europe’s gambling sector just got a major test in Croatia.

The European Gambling and Amusement Federation (EUROMAT) has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission. It claims Croatia amended its Gambling Act without required notification, breaching EU law.

As a gambling-industry regulation expert, I believe this dispute reveals deeper tensions between national control and EU single-market principles. Operators across Europe should take note.

Read on—I’ll unpack what happened, the risks for Croatia and operators, and what this means for the European gambling market.

Key Points

• EUROMAT asserts Croatia breached the Directive (EU) 2015/1535 (TRIS Directive) by failing to notify draft regulations to the European Commission.
• The amended Croatian Gambling Act introduced mandatory player-ID systems, stricter venue-location rules, a central self-exclusion register and an online/social media advertising ban.
• EUROMAT warns that the lack of notification threatens market access and creates an “uneven playing field” across the sector.
• The European Commission now has the discretion to open infringement proceedings against Croatia if the complaint is upheld.
• Operators should closely watch how this evolves: national regulation may face EU scrutiny for compatibility with single-market rules.

EU Gaming Body Launches Legal Challenge to Croatia’s Unnotified Gambling Law Changes

From where I sit as a regulatory analyst in the gambling industry, Croatia’s recent legislative manoeuvre signals a pivot. On the surface it looks like a standard regulatory reform aimed at tightening consumer protections and venue controls. But the deeper twist is legal: the changes were reportedly introduced without the mandatory notification to the European Commission under the TRIS Directive. That omission is the flash-point.

What Changed in Croatia?

The amendments to Croatia’s Gambling Act featured multiple technical and structural shifts. For example:

• A mandatory player-ID system for entrants to gaming venues.
• Stricter location and layout rules for venues—including minimum distance and design requirements.
• A centralised self-exclusion register, applying across all venues and platforms.
• A comprehensive ban on online and social-media advertising of gambling.

These look like consumer-protection measures. But in EU law terms they also affect market access and service provision—which triggers notification obligations under Directive (EU) 2015/1535. The national government should have allowed the Commission to review the draft laws before adoption. Had they done so, the changes would have entered the TRIS database, which tracks such regulatory interventions.

Why the Notification Matters

Let me put it simply: EU Member States must notify changes that could restrict cross-border services or affect market access. If they don’t, national regulation can be challenged by the European Commission—and ultimately overturned. By proceeding without that step, Croatia arguably bypassed the procedural safeguards that underpin the single market’s integrity.

As EUROMAT president Jason Frost noted: “Croatia’s decision to ignore this obligation … not only breaches EU law; it also threatens legal certainty for businesses across Europe.”

Implications for Operators

From my vantage, this dispute matters for any operator with a footprint in Croatia—or considering entry. Here’s what I see:

1. Legal risk exposure is heightened. If the Commission initiates infringement proceedings, regulations may be suspended or struck down. 2. Licensing and investment decisions should be cautious. The regulatory sandbox may feel stable but could shift. 3. Venue and online operators must monitor Trinidad-style regulatory changes: i.e., technical rules that may affect hardware, location or advertising. 4. Competition concerns arise: EUROMAT flagged that exemptions or privileges create uneven competition—operators must assess comparative regulatory burdens.

Broader European Regulatory Trends

This issue at first seems Croatia-specific. But in reality it echoes a growing regulatory pattern. Many jurisdictions are introducing more stringent controls over gambling—location, advertising, age-verification, self-exclusion. Those controls often implicate cross-border service provision. That increases the risk of EU scrutiny.

Operators expanding regionally must build regulatory intelligence frameworks. They should assess not just national law, but also whether the law was properly notified under EU processes. A valid licence might sit on shaky legal ground if the underlying law is later invalidated.

My Professional Take

In my opinion, EUROMAT’s complaint is a wake-up call. The Croatian case may serve as a test-bed for the European Commission’s appetite to enforce regulatory notification in the gambling sector. If the Commission acts, other jurisdictions may face more rigorous compliance demands.

For operators the message is clear: regulatory certainty today does not guarantee certainty tomorrow. Commercial strategies must factor in procedural compliance—especially when operating across jurisdictions with EU obligations.

The European Gambling and Amusement Federation (EUROMAT) has formally complained to the European Commission about Croatia’s amendments to its Gambling Act. It alleges that Croatia failed to notify the changes under the TRIS Directive, thereby breaching EU law.

In my view, this complaint marks more than a regional dispute—it puts procedural integrity at the heart of gambling regulation in the EU. Operators and regulators alike must take note: how laws are adopted matters just as much as what the laws say.

Tags: EUROMAT, CroatiaGamingLaw, EUInfringement, GamblingRegulationEurope, TRISDirective

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