Slovenian gambling market liberalisation in sight?

The end of Slovenia’s monopolistic gambling system may be in sight, according to press reports on new legislative moves in the National Assembly.

A bill introduced earlier this year by parliamentarian Branko Zorman proposed that member states in the European Economic Community be allowed to apply for online sports betting licenses, overturning the existing monopolistic legislation which gave exclusivity to the state-owned Športna Loterija, and a similar monopoly regarding lottery action to Loterija Slovenije.

Zorman suggested that the existing legislation created an artificial monopoly, because international operators annually carve out 85 percent of Slovenian gambling revenue. His proposal would enable such companies to legalise and pay tax revenue estimated at up to Euro 13 million to government, he said. There would also be a Euro 500,000 licence fee for online operators.

Zorman promoted the bill as a possible vehicle to generate revenue for sports and humanitarian bodies in the Eastern European nation, but his proposal did not carry the official approval of his political party, and was opposed by government, indicating that it had little chance of success.

Despite this pessimism, the bill was put to the vote this week and achieved strong cross-party support, passing 35 vs. 26. It now faces continued government opposition as it is referred to the National Council for debate, with government spokesmen already asserting that the measure may be contrary to European Union laws.

Government’s apparent opposition to Zorman’s bill is puzzling, given its previous assurances that it was prepared to review the nation’s gambling laws in order to allow international operators doing business in Slovenia to licence.

Those assurances have not thus far been honoured, and Zorman’s bill would appear to provide the basis for government to live up to its pledge.