The online gambling industry of Croatia and its opportunities Mirjana Aćimović, President of the first Serbian representative association of gaming industry JAKTA and Chair of EUROMAT’s Social Responsibility in Gaming Committee 20th of Sptember, BUDAPEST

History & Croatia General Information Croatia has a developed land based gambling industry, led by sports betting and gaming halls. Internet gambling was added in mid-2010.

History & Croatia General Information

History & Croatia General Information The Croatian law allows almost every type of game of chance to be organised. According to the law, the national lottery is a state owned monopoly and is the only one allowed to offer any type of lottery games. The law allows competition in other segments of the industry.

Introduction On line gambling is legal in Croatia and regulated by the 2014 gambling law  According to this law, gambling constitutes players betting on an outcome that is decided mainly by chance with hope of gaining money, goods, services or rights

Introduction This gambling act divides gambling into 4 categories: lottery games (including bingo), games of chance with instant win (instant lottery, scratchcards), sports betting, and slot machines.

Introduction In accordance with the current gambling legislation online gambling operators who wish to offer their services on the Croatian market must apply for an online gambling licence and pay the associated fee, HRK 3 000 000 (about € 400 000)

Market Overview Until a few years ago, the Internet, especially broadband, was still more of a wish than a reality for many Croatian residents, mostly due to the monopoly position of the main telecom operator. In recent years Croatia has witnessed liberalisation on certain levels of the telecom market, and subsequently, a growth of Internet users. The number today is relatively high compared to some other Eastern European countries and even some in the EU.

Market Overview The second reason for the lack of activity in Internet gambling before legalisation lies in the overall distrust towards Internet security, as many people are not computer literate to a satisfactory level. Also, many people still do not use credit cards for Internet payments, and payment processors that cover Croatia are just emerging.

Market Overview Probably the best known brand to target the Croatian market and to receive a following in Croatia was bwin. The company was the first of the online operators to enter the Croatian market and soon became the synonym for online betting. After a few years of actively advertising and targeting the Croatian market, bwin withdrew from the Croatian market. Nevertheless, bwin, even being absent from Croatia for some time now, is still the most recognizable online gambling name in Croatia.

Market Overview A few other operators have decided to advertise in Croatia and to offer their services to Croats in their native language. Companies like Bet-at-Home and Sportingbet are probably the most recognizable of those. UK operator Ladbrokes has also started actively advertising on several popular Croatian Internet portals and also has a website in Croatian. The company became even more active after the new law passed the parliamentary vote. Even though only Croatian land-based betting operators are allowed to apply for a licence, foreign operators hope to attract additional players on the hope that advertising by domestic operators will promote awareness of Internet gambling.

Market Overview Players can register for an Internet account either in person at the shop or via the Internet. Their age is verified through the personal identification number, called OIB. The maximum stakes are limited, as is the time spent online.

Market Overview Players can register for an Internet account either in person at the shop or via the Internet. Their age is verified through the personal identification number, called OIB. The maximum stakes are limited, as is the time spent online.

Market Overview Additionally, a high availability of online payment choices will be essential in developing a sustainable online business. The Croatian regulator has informally said that it is ready to allow domestic operators to target foreign citizens, too, if the foreign companies continue targeting the Croatian market. They have already tried ISP blocking, but it did not work. They are also preparing to go after the sports clubs that advertise foreign sites during games, when unable to fine the operators themselves.

Market Overview In January 2013 Germania started offering Internet betting. Since April 2013, Prva sportska kladionica also offers betting via mobile phones, as the first Croatian operator to allow mobile betting. In August 2014 Dutch-based NMi, an accredited gaming laboratory, was selected by the Croatian Ministry of Finance to perform online games testing.

Market Overview In the same month UK-based eCOGRA, the independent testing agency, was accredited by the Croatian regulators as independent remote gambling tester. eCOGRA is also accredited by 12 other European jurisdiction and company’s clients include some of the most prominent names in the betting industry like Bet365, 888, Microgaming and bwin.party.

Market Overview In May 2015 Croatian Lottery redesigned its web site and finally launched the long-awaited online casino on icasino.lutrija.hr. The site is collaboration between the lottery, aforementioned Intralot and Microgaming. The project marks first the legal online casino to be offered to Croatians. The director of the lottery hopes to have 300,000 players registered by the end of 2016. The online casino for now offers American Roulette, three kinds of Blackjack and 38 slot games, with the stakes starting at HRK 1.

Market Overview Starting from July 2015 iCasino games are also available for mobile play. Lottery players can also bet on sports, engage in live betting, and from July 2015, also bet on foreign lotteries, all via their mobile phones. In November 2015 an eSports tournament was announced, the first of its kind in Croatia. In March 2016 Dota Pit League Season 4 and Counter Pit League Season 2 will feature big LAN finals in Spaladium Arena, Split.

Thank you! http://www.mirjanaacimovic.com/ Mirjana Aćimović, President of the first Serbian representative association of gaming industry JAKTA and Chair of EUROMAT’s Social Responsibility in Gaming Committee 20th of Sptember, BUDAPEST