The festive period saw the Ministry of Justice issue a warning to all Montenegrin businesses that the government will proceed with the full adoption of the new Law on Games of Chance.
Officially sanctioned on 1 August 2025, the government of Montenegro has initiated the rollout of new gambling laws and compliance measures applied to gambling licences and related businesses. The overhaul will see Montenegrin authorities govern gambling in the “interest of public health, safety and the economic benefit of the state”.
In a statement addressed to businesses and national media, the Ministry of Justice said that the new framework establishes “clear and unambiguous rules” and leaves “no room for informal practices or selective interpretation”.
The Ministry stressed that all entities – including operators, suppliers, advertisers and media organisations – are expected to align immediately with the law, warning that non-compliance would trigger enforcement action and sanctions.
As part of the enforcement phase, formal warnings have been sent to national media outlets reminding them of their obligations under the new advertising restrictions. The near-total ban on public gambling advertising places direct compliance responsibilities on broadcasters, publishers and digital platforms, with authorities underlining that any unlawful promotion of gambling content will be treated as a breach of the law.
Regulators have also launched a coordinated sweep of gambling venues, focusing on licence compliance, machine certification and the lawful operation of terminals and gaming equipment. Recent inspections have resulted in the seizure of gambling machines and terminals, alongside the initiation of misdemeanour and criminal proceedings where irregularities were identified.
In parallel, the government has moved to close off legal challenges to the reform. In December, appeals were made by games machine suppliers, calling for a constitutional review of the Law on Games of Chance.
The appeals sought a delay to the implementation of the Law on Games of Chance, on the grounds that a number of machine suppliers had been negatively impacted by changes that had forced them to amend contracts.
However, an intervention by Prime Minister Milojko Spajic rejected the appeals, who said the government could not delay enforcement of measures designed to curb illegal gambling and restore regulatory credibility.
Following the decision, Montenegro’s new Law on Games of Chance – first passed in August 2023 – will now proceed through a phased implementation, with the government indicating that only minimal amendments will be considered.
The Ministry of Finance has already begun issuing secondary regulations covering licensing conditions, AML controls, supervisory powers and market-conduct standards.
The launch of a modernised gambling framework has been earmarked by the Spajic “Pro Europa” administration as a critical domestic reform supporting Montenegro’s full accession to the European Union.
The government has positioned gambling reform as part of a broader effort to align regulatory standards with EU norms, as Prime Minister Spajic pursues Montenegro’s ambition to become a full EU member state by 2028.
Dingnews.com 02/01/2026