Croatian Online Gaming

Online gaming in Croatia is regulated by the Ordinance on Interactive Online Casino Gaming, which went into effect July 2010. Online gaming is legal for citizens of Croatia over 18 years of age. They are allowed to play at the Croatian State Lottery site, which oversees operations for sports betting, keno, bingo and land-based casinos in the country as well as foreign online casinos.

In addition to Hrvatska Lutrija (Croatian State Lottery), private operators are allowed to offer their services in Croatia. To provide their services online, an operator must maintain a land-based casino in the country. The funds in the player accounts must be kept by the operator in a special bank account in a Croatian bank. Players have the right to set loss limits and request to be put on an exclusion list. Servers for the gaming site must be located in Croatia. The Ministry of Finance has the right to inspect all facets of the business for compliance.

Hrvatska Lutrija has partnered with Intralot Interactive and Microgaming to providing a range of the Croatian Lottery's casino games, including table games, slots games, poker and multi-player bingo. Intralot and the Croatian Lottery jointly manage the online business on a shared-profit basis.

Prva Sportska Kladionica, an owner of established Croatian sports-betting shops, was acquired by Hattrick Sports Group, Ltd. Hattrick offers the Croatian market online sports betting and Lotto at its website.

In November 2014, the European Commission approved new laws proposed by the Croatian government that would create an open and legalized online poker market. The new market, expected to launch after parliamentary approval, will require operators to apply for a license from the Ministry of Finance, pay a starting fee of HRK 3 million and then an annual fee of the same amount, and make a bank deposit of HRK 3 million. Operators will then be asked to pay a 5% monthly tax on gross revenues, and players will be taxed on their winnings in a tiered structure.

Online Gaming Properties Operating in Croatia