Serbia Gambling
Under Serbia’s Gambling Act of 2011, only two land-based casinos are allowed to operate on the territory of the Balkan nation. Minister Mali’s recently tabled bill allows for the addition of up to 10 new casinos. If enforced as a law, the bill would enable the government to issue up to 10 casino licenses, each valid for a 10-year period. Serbia’s new gambling law aimed at harmonising the country’s regulations with EU legislation, in particular combatting money laundering, came into effect on March 11, 2020. There are two land-based casinos, the Grand Casino Beograd and the Fair Play Casino, also situated in the country’s capital. The government prepared a black-list of operators to encourage the rest to run gambling business in Serbia. All online gambling activities are run through only a single platform – owned by Playtech company, which has been collaborating with the Serbian national State Lottery for many years.
Grand Casino Beograd 24 /7 Grand Casino Beograd (Belgrade) is located in the hotel Jugoslavia on the Danube in Serbia at Bulevar Nikole Tesle 3. You will be about 10 minutes from city center. The first appearance of gambling in Serbia can be linked to the 1940s – and more precisely, the days of World War II. At this time, gambling was strategically used as a means to develop the economy and the tourism industry.
TERRESTRIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEASURE
Problem gambling prevention policies
Serbian legislation requires the organisation of games of chance to be socially responsible and organised in a manner that ensures the protection of minors and the prevention of addiction for players. Additionally, all player personal data is protected by law. Operators of games of chance are obligated to enforce the prohibition of participation of juvenile persons in the games of chance in the most effective way.
All staff working for the casino operators who have customer- facing roles are required to be fully trained in the recognition of problem gambling behaviour and the prevention of gambling addiction.
Leaflets addressing issues of gaming addiction, and featuring the contact data of an institution certified by the Ministry of Health for treating addiction, must be made available at each counter or window where games of chance are played, and a poster containing the same information must be displayed in the vicinity of the entrance door.
National legislation also requires customers to be a minimum of 18 years of age, with minors prohibited from entering any gambling facility.
Operators are required to maintain a permanent database of prohibited players and no publicity relating to gambling or special games of chance is permitted without the provision of a clear notice that the participation of minors is prohibited. Notices making clear that minors are prohibited from gaming must be displayed alongside all games.
Problem Gambling Prevention Policies
The organisation of games of chance has to be socially responsible and organised in a manner that ensures the protection of minors, prevention of addiction disease, as well as the protection of personal data of participants.
In September 2013 Grand Casino Beograd adopted the Code of Practice for Responsible Gaming in accordance with the European Casino Association’s Code of Practice for Responsible Gaming in the Casino Environment.
In July 2014 Grand Casino Beograd passed the audit for the ECA’s responsible gaming certification with an impressive performance and has been granted certification. The auditors from SGS Belgrade company were highly impressed with Grand Casino Beograd employees’ professionalism and superior engagement with the topic of social responsibility.
Responsible Gaming Project
In 2010, Grand Casino Beograd signed a Responsible Gambling Protocol with the Belgrade City Assembly, establishing its role as a socially responsible organisation addressing issues of problem gambling.
On the basis of the agreement, call centre-based hotlines were established for individuals with pathological gambling issues. Grand Casino Beograd also supported the research of the Masmi agency on player behaviour in games of chance, and on the emergence of indicators of pathological gambling. The gambling research showed that 3.6 percent of the adult population is gambling addicts, while another 2.5 percent belong in a high-risk group.
In 2013, a project titled “Gambling with life is not a game” was launched to deal with the prevention of pathological gambling, specifically aimed at high school children.
The programme was supported by Belgrade City Assembly, the secretariat for education and childcare and the Municipality of New Belgrade. Research on Belgrade youth gambling and life habits was conducted as a part of the project.
In April 2014, Grand Casino Beograd extended its cooperation agreement with the Belgrade City Assembly to conduct further educational workshop in Municipality of Zemun. With the signing of a new protocol, this project was continued in 2015 in Municipality of Stari Grad with the aim to inform young people about issues of problem gambling, its causes, symptoms and treatment. This new protocol will be extended throughout 2016 at the Municipalities of Vracar and Palilula.
Serbia Gambling Age
Legal Gambling Age: 18 Years Old
Croatia Gambling
Serbia Gambling Law
Smoking Ban: No. Smoking in casinos is permitted at the discretion of casino operators.