Montenegro online gambling: approvals for land-based operators
A small Balkan market where a 2025 law replaced concessions with approvals. Online casino and betting are open only to Montenegrin companies that already run betting shops, slot clubs or a casino, so foreign groups enter through a local operator.
- Best for
- Groups entering through a Montenegrin land-based operator
- Who can be licensed
- Land-based casino and betting operators in Montenegro
- Markets it serves
- Montenegro
Montenegro has no stand-alone online gambling license. Under the Law on Games of Chance of 2025, which replaced the concession model with approvals from the Games of Chance Administration, online gaming is approved only for Montenegrin companies that already hold a casino, betting or slot-club approval, with one website each. The online approval lasts as long as the underlying land-based approval: eight years for betting and slot clubs, 15 years for casinos. Operators pay a monthly fee of 15% of stakes minus payouts, foreign licenses are not recognized, and gambling advertising is banned on radio and TV from 06:00 to 22:00.
- Status
- Land-based holders only
- Regulator
- Uprava za igre na sreću
- Legal basis
- Law on Games of Chance
- Status checked
- October 16, 2026
How online gambling is licensed in Montenegro
Since August 2025, operators work under approvals rather than concessions. Online play is a decision added to an existing land-based approval.
Betting approval
Issued by the Games of Chance Administration for eight years; the base for online betting.
Slot club approval
Issued for eight years, with approval per hall; the base for virtual casino and slots online.
Casino approval
Granted by the Government for 15 years, limited to five-star hotels.
Online decision
Added to one of the approvals above, with one website per operator. Online-only companies and foreign licenses cannot be used.
Who can offer online gambling in Montenegro
| Requirement | Under the Law on Games of Chance (2025) |
|---|---|
| Legal form | Montenegrin joint-stock or limited liability company |
| Land-based approval | An existing casino, betting or slot-club approval; online-only companies cannot apply |
| Share capital | €200,000 for betting or slot clubs; €250,000 for casinos |
| Guarantees | Bank guarantees per approval and per shop or club |
| Website | One website per operator |
| Term | The online decision lasts as long as the underlying approval |
Technical, payment and player rules
Real-time connection
Records kept in real time with a direct connection to the regulator’s system; player identification and video verification.
Payments
A closed list of payment methods through credit institutions or at venues, in euro; third parties may not pay on a player’s behalf.
Bonuses
Bonuses run through a separate promotional account players cannot deposit into; bonus winnings moved to the player account count as stakes.
Self-exclusion
Players can request exclusion, loss limits or bet caps; operators act immediately and notify the regulator within 24 hours. A state register applies since December 2025.
Enforcement
The regulator can block unauthorized sites and mirrors and ask banks to block payments; offering gambling without approval is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
Transition
Existing operators had to re-apply under the 2025 law; a 2026 amendment extended their compliance period.
How the setup runs
Online approval follows the land-based approval. For foreign groups, the realistic route is a Montenegrin operator.
- 1RouteAcquire or partner with a Montenegrin betting, slot-club or casino operator, or found a company and obtain a land-based approval.
- 2Company and capitalMontenegrin company with the required share capital and guarantees.
- 3Land-based approvalBetting or slot-club approval from the Games of Chance Administration, or a casino approval from the Government.
- 4Online decisionApplication to the Administration for the online decision, with one website and the real-time connection.
- 5Go-livePayments, player identification, self-exclusion and monthly fee filings in place.
Ongoing obligations
- Monthly online fee of 15% of stakes minus payouts, by the 15th
- Withholding of winnings tax at payout
- Real-time records and connection to the regulator
- Player identification, self-exclusion and limits
- Payments only through the permitted methods, in euro
- Advertising rules and mandatory warnings
- Keeping the land-based approval the online decision depends on
How online gambling is taxed
Online fee
A monthly fee of 15% of stakes minus payouts for each online category, plus a fixed monthly amount, due by the 15th.
Land-based
10% of betting results, 15% of slot machine and casino table results, plus fixed amounts per shop, machine or casino.
Players’ winnings
Withheld at payout. The rate changed twice in 2026: banded from 1 January (exempt up to €50, then 10% and 15%), then a flat 12% under Sl. list CG 70/2026. The changes are challenged before the Constitutional Court.
Corporate tax
9% up to €100,000, 12% up to €1.5 million and 15% above; gambling is VAT-exempt.
Advertising rules
Broadcast
No gambling ads on radio or TV from 06:00 to 22:00, including during live sports; lottery is exempt.
Print and online
Print ads only on sports pages; online only in sports publications or sections. No ads in public places.
Bonuses
Bonus, jackpot and free-spin offers may appear only on the operator’s own websites and those of clubs it sponsors.
Penalties
Mandatory addiction and 18+ warnings; fines of €5,000 to €20,000 for companies.
Montenegro is not an EU member state. EU licenses are not recognized, and a Montenegrin approval does not give access to EU markets.
Ask about your caseFrequently asked questions
Is there an online gambling license in Montenegro?
Not a stand-alone one. Under the 2025 Law on Games of Chance, online gaming is approved only for Montenegrin companies that already hold a casino, betting or slot-club approval.
Who regulates gambling in Montenegro?
The Games of Chance Administration (Uprava za igre na sreću) issues approvals and enforces the law, with Ministry of Finance inspectors. Casino approvals are granted by the Government.
When did the new law take effect?
The Law on Games of Chance (Sl. list CG 91/2025) took effect in August 2025, replacing the 2004 law and its concession model with approvals. It was amended in 2026.
Can a foreign company offer online gambling in Montenegro?
Only through a Montenegrin company that holds a land-based approval. Foreign licenses are not recognized, and unauthorized sites can be blocked along with their payments.
How long does an online approval last?
As long as the underlying land-based approval: eight years for betting and slot clubs, 15 years for casinos.
How is online gambling taxed?
Through a monthly fee of 15% of stakes minus payouts per online category, plus a fixed monthly amount. Players’ winnings are taxed at source.
How are players’ winnings taxed?
The rules changed twice in 2026: banded rates from 1 January (exempt up to €50, then 10% and 15%), then a flat 12% under a later amendment. The operators’ association is challenging the changes before the Constitutional Court.
Can gambling be advertised in Montenegro?
With limits: no radio or TV ads from 06:00 to 22:00, print only on sports pages, no ads in public places, and bonus offers only on the operator’s own websites.
How many websites can an operator run?
One website per operator under the online decision.
How can a new operator enter Montenegro?
By acquiring or partnering with a Montenegrin betting, slot-club or casino operator, or by founding a company and first obtaining a land-based approval.
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