Western Balkans unite: seven countries establish a joint gaming federation

This week in Belgrade, seven national associations signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and officially founded the Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF). The initiative was launched jointly by Serbia’s AGOS and Bulgaria’s AOGGOB.

Who joined the federation

🔵 Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia

🔵 The federation brings together operators, suppliers, and technology providers

🔵 BGF is designed as a coordination platform — without replacing existing national associations

Goals and objectives

🔴 Coordination of regulatory policies and exchange of best practices

🔴 Joint lobbying at the legislative level

🔴 Promotion of the Western Balkans as a region within the European gaming industry

🔴 Combating illegal gambling and unfair competition

Regulatory context

🔵 Serbia and Romania — mature online markets attracting international operators such as Bet365, Evoke, and Superbet

🔵 Croatia and Bulgaria — strong land-based casino sectors alongside growing online segments

🔵 Bulgaria has introduced a full ban on betting for football players and national team staff, and extended the self-exclusion period to one year — 54,000 individuals are already enrolled

🔵 Bosnia and Herzegovina — a fragmented regulatory environment, one of the key challenges for the federation

🔵 Montenegro — ongoing disputes around tax reform

Relations with Europe and next steps

🔴 BGF is positioned as a distinct Balkan cluster while maintaining ties with EUROMAT

🔴 Next meeting — May 26 at the Belgrade Future Gaming exhibition

🔴 Approval of governance structure and election of the federation’s president — autumn 2026

Summary

BGF is an attempt by seven fragmented markets to speak to Europe with one voice. Regulatory reforms across the region remain uneven: each country has its own agenda, challenges, and pace. The federation does not eliminate these differences, but creates a platform where they can at least be coordinated.