North Macedonia lies in the south-eastern part of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. On its west, Albania, to the south Greece, to the east Bulgaria and to the north Serbia. Gambling laws and legislations have changed a lot over the years especially concerning the North Macedonia bookmakers and sports betting. This article covers North Macedonia’s gambling legislation, the history of the legislation, the governing bodies, the types of bets, gambling licenses and their costs, taxes, and the sports betting industry.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
History of Gambling Laws in North Macedonia
North Macedonia’s journey in the realm of gambling has been complex and transformative:
- 1991: After the separation from former Yugoslavia, the Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games allowed gambling.
- 1991 – 2014: Some revisions were made in the legal system for the better although online gambling was still not fully legalised.
- 2014: The online gambling was only legal to some extent, only the online lottery is allowed.
- 2020: The legalisation of online gambling was done to help lessen the effects of the global pandemic on gambling operators economically.
Regulatory Framework and Agencies
The main regulator of the gambling business as well as bookmakers and sports betting in North Macedonia is the Ministry of Finance. It is their role to license and enforce the provisions of the Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games as well as the amendments to the same.
Major amendments and legislation dates
- 7 February 2024: The Assembly of North Macedonia approved changes that define the minimum distance that gambling facilities have to be from a primary or secondary school at 500 meters.
- 13 February 2024: The President stated that he would not sign the Proclamation for the Promulgation of the Law on Amending and Supplementing the Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games because of the procedural matters and EU harmonization.
Bookmakers: Prohibited and Allowed Bets
The legislative framework defines specific betting activities permissible for bookmakers:
- Allowed Bets: Some of the types are; sports betting, horse racing, electronic games, lotteries among others.
- Prohibited Bets: Options that relate to activities that are against the law, immoral, or against the public policy.
Licensing and Fees of North Macedonia Bookmakers
The licensing process for bookmakers in North Macedonia is stringent:
The Ministry of Finance grants licenses and the duration of such is six years.
Every gambling site needs its permit. For instance:
- Casino License: Coasts €600,000 and needs a minimum of €500,000 capital and €300,000 in the form of deposit or bank guarantee.
- Betting Shops: This fee was set at €105,000 and was raised to €200,000 as from February 2024.
- Slot Machine Clubs: The new license fees have been pegged at €100,000 for one to three outlets while each additional outlet will attract an additional €30,000 fee.
Moreover, online gambling licenses are linked with the physical casinos only and there were no separate licenses for online operations till now.
Taxes and Special Charges
The tax structure for gambling in North Macedonia is comprehensive:
- Gambling Tax: It is 20% of the gross gambling revenue.
- Health Care Financing Fee: This is at 3% of the gross gambling revenue.
Fixed Fees:
- 800 Euros on a monthly basis for each roulette table.
- An annual charge of €1,725 for any other table games.
- Corporate Tax: Fixed rate of 10% on the total income that the company makes.
- Player Winnings Tax: On gambling winnings the tax is 15 percent.
In order to tackle the issue of tax evasion, special charges have to be paid depending on the greater of two parameters of different types of gambling venues; this is to ensure that the taxes are well accounted for and paid.
North Macedonia Sports Betting
Sport is very popular in North Macedonia and sports betting is one of the preferred activities. Key points include:
Historical Milestones:
- 12 August 2009: National football team took on the European champions at the Philip II Arena, during the centennial celebrations of football in North Macedonia.
- 2002: Kometal Skopje was crowned champions of the EHF Women’s Champions League European Cup.
- 2008: National team ranked seventh based on the recently concluded European Women’s Handball Championship.
- 2011: The National basketball team has finished at the fourth position in Eurobasket.
- 1956: First Olympic medal won by North Macedonia, which at that time was a part of Yugoslavia by Blagoja Vidinić.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can state that the regulating of gambling scope, focusing on bookmakers and sports betting, is well-organized in North Macedonia. It is for this reason that the country has continued to update its laws in a bid to ensure that the gambling business thrives while at the same time protecting its population from adverse effects of gambling.
FAQ: North Macedonia Bookmakers
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