Legislation
Slovenia – Slovenia’s National Assembly votes to open online sports betting up
By Phil - 26 March 2018
Slovenia’s National Assembly has made an unexpected move to end the online sports betting monopoly currently held by state-owned Športna Loterija.
It voted 35-26 to allow European Economic Community-based operators to apply for online sports betting licenses.
Branko Zorman, MP for the senior coalition Modern Centre Party, submitted the bill in January. He said the current monopoly was ‘artificial’ as international operators currently accounted for around 85 per cent of Slovenia’s online betting revenue.
Operators would have to pay a license fee of €500k for an online sports betting license. Mr. Zorman believes the government could generated at extra €9.5m each year from his proposed regime taking its total to €13m
Marko Pogačnik, an MP for the SDS, said: “We believe the proposed amendments mean positive budget receipts and more money for sports clubs.”
The bill has come in for criticism though with Gorazd Renčelj, state secretary at the Finance Ministry, slamming it as being ‘flawed’ whilst the Democratic Party of Pensioners (DeSUS) said it was ‘ill-thought-through and haphazard privatisation.’
