Gambling and Sports Betting in Serbia
In this guide to online sports betting you can first find a quick overview of how the industry has developed in Serbia. Then the online betting is looked at along with the taxation laws applied to the public. Following this you can see how the different sites accommodate Serbian players before finishing off with thoughts on how sports betting in Serbia might change in the future.
Sports Betting Sites in Serbia – September 2024
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- AUD
- CAD
- USD
- Competitive sign-up and promotional offers
- Excellent statistics section to aid customers
- Pain-free deposit options
- Accepts both high and low limit bettors
- Lengthy and expensive withdrawal procedure
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- BTC
- LTC
- ETH
- Premier destination for US bettors
- Racebook covering daily races
- Esports and virtual sports markets
- In-depth sports stats and tips
- Intuitive live betting markets
- Limited withdrawal options
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- BTC
- LTC
- XRP
- Deposit and bet using BTC
- Choose from 25,000+ markets
- Bet in-play on a huge range of sports
- Get paid quickly with no fuss
- Friendly customer support agents
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- LTC
- USD
- Generous bonuses and promotions
- Great range of betting markets
- Extensive racebook
- Very good customer service
- Only a few withdrawal options
- Fees for withdrawing funds
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- BTC
- Trusted by publications such as ESPN
- Access a dedicated racing section
- Crypto-friendly sportsbook
- Adjust odds format and time zone
- Support options include call back
- Quite low sportsbook limits
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- USD
- Accepts players from all over the world
- Known for their live betting offers
- Lots of secure banking options
- Great bonuses and promotions
- High fees for some deposit options
- Support agents are often slow to reply
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- BTC
- Top-rated US online sportsbook
- Mobile site for iOS and Android users
- Diverse range of betting markets
- Excellent customer support options
- Lines come out very late in the day
- Odds not as favorable as other books
Average Payout Speed
0 – 24 HoursCurrencies
- BPS
- CAD
- EUR
- Popular book that accepts large max bets
- Huge focus on football and basketball
- High-spec live in-play platform available
- Downloadable client for Windows & Mac
- Odds are not amazing on non-US sports
- User interface could be improved
Early Regulation and Changes in Serbia
After the Yugoslav states separated in the 1990s, Serbia continued to keep the 1964 laws applied to all forms of gambling. This meant operators had to first gain a license from the government which quickly led to gambling becoming a state run operation. Despite a casino opening in Belgrade in the late 1960s, the majority of operators were only allowed to offer a football forecasting game from dedicated kiosks and shops, which were also focused on the capital.
In the aftermath of the 1990s wars a lot of Serbia was left devastated both politically and structurally. In this environment sports betting and other forms of gambling attracted a strong criminal element and illegal bookmakers were easy to find. It was not until 2004, as the state moved to a more democratic government, that they were able to address this.
Prior to this there were 300 legal betting shops in Serbia, a number which rose to 1,728 after the 2004 legislation and gaming taxes and fees provided €155m in revenue to the Serbian government in the three years to 2008 [2].
Despite the increase of legal sports betting operations the concentration still falls in and around Belgrade, and the unregulated operations are still rife throughout the rest of the country. The largest legal operator is the Meridan Group which operates many of the Belgrade shops and has launched their own online bookie after becoming licensed by Malta in 2008.
Legislation Introduced and Access to Gambling Sites Blocked
Serbia offers many choices for sports bettors, although the legality may be questionable at times. It is one of the six independent counties formed after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbia is landlocked country, positioned where Central Europe crosses into Southeastern Europe. Prior to 2008 Kosovo also formed part of Serbia, although now it is now recognized as an independent country by the majority of UN member states.
The legislation laid out the rules for operating an online business within its jurisdiction including taxes and charges along with the stipulation any company providing online games had to have servers with Serbia’s borders.
This was followed up a few months later when ISPs were instructed to block access to 70 gambling sites [4]. These included large industry names like Bwin.Party, 888, Betfair, Skybet and William Hill. This caused initial worries in the industry although it soon became apparent that the ISPs did not enforce the block, despite initial threats of prosecution, as they felt the order had no legal grounds.
Some companies did pull out of their own accord due to legitimacy concerns elsewhere in the world, the fact the Serb market was not big enough to risk operating there or due to software deals they have with PlayTech, who also supply software to the Serbia’s State Lottery and their betting sites.
Overall the effects were far milder than expected as there has been no follow up to enforce these rules by the government. Furthermore there are no laws in place to prevent citizens using international betting sites so you can still access the majority of sites with no interference. Ensure the betting sites you choose are respectable and licensed if you choose to do this.
Serbian Gambling Taxes
There has been no indication from the state that they intend to tax profits individuals make from gambling. Even if this was to change, with many companies operating a grey market, with no clear enforcement by Serbia, it seems unlikely the systems would be in place to correctly tax the public.
You Can Access Foreign Online Sportsbooks But Euros Are the Best Option
Apart from the few state licensed operators there are some operators providing sports betting in the Serb language as well as customer support, although not a large number. The vast majority of sites however offer the major European languages and Russian.
It is a similar story with trying to use the Dinar and in most cases when you deposit your funds will have to be exchanged and stored in Euros. This is a slight inconvenience as fees are normally deducted for currency conversions and you have to wager in Euros.
Deposits can be made using Serbian credit and debit cards, including those with Visa and MasterCard branding. E-Wallets such as Neteller and Skrill also provide a quick online method and by having your wallet in Euros, it can cut out some of the currency exchanges when moving funds between sites.
Possible Regulations to Come in Serbia
There were suggestions that Serbia may look to further regulate the online market in 2014 – although there has been no sign of this yet.
As it is things seem set to continue as they are for now with a handful of state regulated sites among many international choices. This also makes sense when you consider that Serbia is attempting to join the EU soon, where it may be forced to allow EU licensed sites to operate regardless of anything implemented now.
References
[1] Serbia– A Regulatory Report – Chapter 2 – Gambling Compliance
[2] Serbia– A Regulatory Report – Chapter 3 – Gambling Compliance
[3] Serbia Creates Brand New and Well-Regulated Laws Concerning Online Gambling – JAKTA
[4] Serbia Orders Blocking of 70 Sites – Calvin Ayre