What Are the Online Gambling Laws in Croatia? – The Dubrovnik Times

Over the course of the last few decades, the popularity of the online gambling industry has skyrocketed all over the world. The widespread availability of high-speed internet, coupled with the global nature of todays marketplace that this has facilitated, has meant that people in a wide variety of countries can visit sites like and enjoy a premium Japanese online casino experience.

However, not all countries have been as quick to regulate this emerging industry as others. Given that Croatia only gained its status as an independent country 30 years ago, it has had less time to adjust to the new state of play than many others. Nonetheless, it has done so admirably and gambling at both land-based and online casinos has been legal in the country for many years now.

A history of gambling in Croatia

Croatia signaled its intention to open up the gambling to its citizens as far back as the 1960s, marking it out as one of the first members of the Eastern Bloc to do so. However, it wasnt until Croatia secured its independence in 1991 that the industry really took off, with popularity continuing to grow throughout the decade.

Despite its legal status, the exact legislation surrounding gambling in Croatia remained somewhat confusing until the implementation of the Zakon o igrama na sreu gambling law in 2014. This clarified the rules surrounding gambling in the country in both an online and offline capacity.

Open for business

After the introduction of the 2014 law, the Croatian government made it legal for casino operators all over the world to apply for a license to run a website in their country. This detail was welcomed by the gambling community, since it avoided a closed-off situation such as that which was experienced in France, Italy and Spain.

Instead, Croatian players are now free to join in at their favorite tables games and slots with any .com domain, providing it holds the relevant license. This gives Croatian gamblers unrivalled access to the best online casinos all over the world, including the most advanced games and the most generous bonuses that they offer.

Taxation

Less encouraging for Croatian gambling enthusiasts is the countrys laws regarding taxation. All earnings accrued from gambling in Croatia are subject to tax from the government and the percentages which they demand are considerably higher than in many other nations, some of which do not tax online winnings at all.

For example, all winnings up to 10,000 Kuna are taxed by 10%, while those between 10,000 and 30,000 Kuna receive a 15% tax. Bigger windfalls of up to 50,000 Kuna receive a 20% tax, while anything above that amount will incur a tax of 30%. This means that the state does take a sizable proportion of gambling winnings but its perhaps worth it for the freedom which the laws give to Croatian citizens.

Although it is less experienced with the regulation of gambling than some other countries, Croatia does have a robust legal system set up to supervise the online gambling industry. This means that Croats, ex-pats and visitors to the country can safely and legally gamble online today.

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What Are the Online Gambling Laws in Croatia? - The Dubrovnik Times