Euromat has submitted a formal complaint to the Commission because Croatia has not sent the new law on the sector to the Eu.
The European Gambling and Amusement Federation (Euromat) has lodged an official complaint with the European Commission under Directive (Eu) 2015/1535 (the Tris Directive) regarding Croatia’s failure to notify amendments to the country’s Gambling Act and its implementing regulations.
The amended Gambling Act introduces far-reaching technical rules affecting access and provision of services on the Croatian gambling market, including mandatory player identification systems, strict limitations on the location and layout of gambling venues, a comprehensive ban on online and social-media advertising, temporal restrictions on operation, and a central player self-exclusion register. At the same time, by providing benefits from exemptions and regulatory privileges, the law creates an uneven playing field, to the detriment of certain segments of the gambling sector.
Following the adoption of the Gambling Act, four separate implementing regulations were also adopted, each introducing additional technical rules that develop in further detail the measures envisaged by the new law, yet none of them were notified to the Commission as required under Eu law.
Member States are legally required to notify the Commission of any draft laws or regulations that affect market access, the provision of services, or impose mandatory technical requirements, to allow scrutiny by the Commission. Failure to notify constitutes a breach of Eu law and undermines the proper functioning of the Single Market. Despite repeated warnings from Euromat, the Croatian Gaming Association (Hupis) and the Commission, Croatia has pushed ahead with the new amendments to the Gambling Act and its implementing regulations without fulfilling this obligation. Such open disregard for established Eu procedures raises serious concerns — what message does it send to other Member States if one country can so blatantly and openly ignore rules that all others are expected to respect?
“This complaint marks an important first step in the Eu’s legal process. Complaints such as that filed by Euromat are a key tool to alert the Commission to potential breaches of Eu law. Based on Euromat’s complaint, the European Commission will be able to assess the evidence and decide on the next steps, including whether to open infringement proceedings against Croatia – said Euromat president Jason Frost – The notification procedure exists to ensure that national measures are compatible with the principles of the Single Market. Croatia’s decision to ignore this obligation not only breaches EU law; it also threatens legal certainty for businesses across Europe. The Commission must act decisively to uphold the integrity of the internal market”.
Filip Jelavić, secretary general of Hupis, added: “The Croatian Government has deliberately sidelined both stakeholders and Eu institutions. By failing to notify, it has prevented scrutiny of measures that fundamentally distort competition and harm different segments of the gaming sector. We urge the Commission to carefully assess Euromat’s complaint and intervene without delay to ensure that the rule of law and fair market conditions are upheld”.
