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What should one know about online casino BiH? Complex administrative and political structures make navigating the Bosnian gambling market tricky. This page will put you up to speed with the Bosnia casino landscape in 2024.
Our selection process upholds stringent principles. The brands on this page outscored others.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a typical state. To get a full grasp of the local gambling market, you may wanna get more information.
Yes, gambling has been legal in Bosnia since 1992.
Online gambling in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been legal since 2011.
The Federation of Bosnia granted the first license to Williams.
Players from Bosnia can access licensed casinos. But, unlicensed foreign internet casinos operate without restrictions, as well. The Bosnian players can access these gambling platforms, too.
Understanding the political landscape helps to find your way around gambling in BiH. For that, looking at history is in order.
As mentioned, each entity has its own regulating body.
The Republika Srpska Gaming Administration is a part of the Ministry of Finance. They oversee gambling activities within the territory of Republika Srpska.
Find the licensed internet game providers operating in Republika Srpska here.
Legal Basis: Law on Republic Administration (Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, No. 115/18) |
Zakon o igrama na sreću is the relevant law.
The Federal Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications regulates gambling in the Federation.
Legal Basis: The Law on Games of Chance ("Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH," No. 48/15 and 60/15). |
Yes, they can. If you find yourself in the picturesque Sarajevo, Mostar or Banja Luka, feel free to play!
To gamble in both Federation and Republika Srpska, you must be 18 years old.
There are several brick-and-mortar casinos across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most are concentrated in major cities. Some popular venues include:
Republika Srpska:
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Brčko District:
Yes. The latest legislation increased its proportion. In 2019, online casinos became subject to taxation, too.
Yes, the winnings are taxable at the proportion of 15%.
Crypto casino regulation doesn't exist. There are no local Bitcoin casinos. Land-based establishments don't accept cryptocurrencies.
Bosnian players can still bet cryptocurrencies on the foreign platforms that accept them.
For non-local players, the Bosnian gambling market may be puzzling. The reason is the complex political situation in BiH.
Bosnia was part of Yugoslavia, which existed from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. Back then, gambling was generally prohibited. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, present-day Bosnia came into existence in 1995. For once, it has more liberal policies toward gambling. Or at least that seemed so in the beginning.
Soon after the legalization, many gambling sites were blocked. In 2013, the Federation of Bosnia prohibited unlicensed online gambling platforms. The Communications Regulation Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina maintained blacklisting and enforcing.
This ban was short-lived due to public pressure and legal ambiguities. Now, players can access these brands. But the associated companies can't advertise or set up shops in BiH. Local enterprises can't do business with these, either.
This resulted in over-saturation with spam-filled gambling blogs. These fake sites are landing pages. Breaching the law, they promote unlicensed operators.
There are several ways to look at the current BiH:
On top of all, the High Commissioner overseeing peace implementation also exists.
With so many levels of division, it's no surprise that the situation is unclear.
Each entity has its own law on games of chance.
As mentioned, the Federation broke the ice, granting the first license to Williams in 2011. Ever since most licensing happened there. But Republika Srpska is coming along, too. Moat online casinos are now licensed there.
Interestingly, today, Bosnia outranks the other European countries in betting shops per capita.
