Casino Montenegro: The 2025 Law, Licensed Operators and Land Casinos

Short answer: casino Montenegro rules changed on 14 August 2025, when a new Law on Games of Chance (Sl. list CG 91/25) replaced the 2004 law. Gambling is an exclusive right of the state, ceded by approval, and the Uprava za igre na sreću (UIS) at the Ministry of Finance supervises it. Online casino and betting are open only to companies that also hold a land-based approval. Montenegrin banks block card payments to foreign gambling sites, players at unlicensed sites face fines of EUR 1,000 to 2,000, and since 1 January 2026 winnings are taxed at 0%, 10% or 15% (a draft to switch to a flat 12% was adopted by the government in April 2026; we found no sign it has been enacted).

This guide covers the law, the regulator, the operators on the official online list, the land casinos in Podgorica and Budva, the payment block, tax and self-exclusion. For the regional picture start at the Balkan Gambling home page; for how to judge any casino site, read our online casino guide.

Montenegro gambling law at a glance

The 2025 Law on Games of Chance

The Law on Games of Chance was published in the Official Gazette of Montenegro, Sl. list CG 91/25, on 6 August 2025 and took effect on 14 August 2025 (Art. 108). It repealed the 2004 law and all its amendments (Art. 107). Under Articles 105-106, operators had 270 days to align with the new rules, which would have ended the transition around 11 May 2026. On 2 April 2026 the government adopted a draft amendment extending that period to 450 days, to 11 November 2026, with existing concession agreements deemed extended until then. We found no confirmation that Parliament has passed it, so check the status before relying on either date. Anything you read that still quotes the 2004 law is out of date.

Article 3 states the starting point: organising games of chance is an exclusive right of the state. The state cedes that right to companies by government decision or by an approval from the regulator; the 2025 law no longer uses concession contracts for this. Online games, covering casino, betting, slots and lottery, fall under the approval route (Art. 6).

The online rules are strict. Only a company that already holds an approval for land-based games may apply to run the same games online (Art. 77). Each operator may use one internet domain (Art. 78). The fees are EUR 10,000 a month plus 15% of gross gaming revenue (Art. 83). The effect is that every legal Montenegrin gambling site belongs to a company with shops, slot clubs or a casino in the country.

The regulator: Uprava za igre na sreću

The Uprava za igre na sreću (Games of Chance Administration) sits inside the Ministry of Finance at Sima Barovića 30 in Podgorica, telephone +382 20 265 438. It publishes its rulebooks and operator lists on the government portal gov.me. In June 2026 the government reported that the Administration’s information system was fully operational with every operator connected, and that revenue from games of chance in January to May 2026 reached EUR 19.96 million, 33.69% more than a year earlier. Online games were the largest single item at EUR 8.70 million.

Licensed online operators in Montenegro

The government’s page on internet games links to a spreadsheet of online operators active on 2 July 2025. It is the only official list we found, and it predates the new law: these companies held concessions under the 2004 law. A list of approvals issued under the 2025 law was not published as of 15 October 2026, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm a site’s status with the UIS.

We name these companies for information only. We have no commercial relationship with any of them and we do not link to their sites. Several brands on the list also operate in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, often through different local companies. Our bookmaker pages explain how each country site differs: see Meridianbet across Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro, MaxBet and its country sites, Admiral Bet and Soccerbet, or start from our guide to Balkan betting sites.

How to check a Montenegrin site yourself

1. Find the company name and approval or concession number in the site footer.
2. Compare the company and the domain with the list published by the UIS on gov.me. Under Article 78 an operator may use only one domain, so a mirror or look-alike address is a warning sign.
3. If the site is not on the list or the details do not match, ask the UIS before you deposit.

Land casinos in Podgorica and Budva

Most searches for a casino in Montenegro are about the venues in Podgorica and on the coast around Budva. Under the 2025 law, casino rights are granted by government decision. The best-documented venues are two whose concessions were approved under the previous law: at its session of 19 October 2023 the government approved two ten-year concessions, one to Džek Pot d.o.o. for Casino Montenegro in the Hotel Crna Gora (Hilton) in Podgorica, and one to NET Montenegro d.o.o. for the Merit Starlit casino in Budva. Old-law concessions continue only for the transition period described above, after which operators need a right under the new law. Other casino and slot venues on the coast operate under their own decisions; we have not listed them because we could not match each one to a current official record.

Land casinos are a small part of the market by revenue. In January to May 2026, casino games brought in EUR 2.07 million, against EUR 4.58 million from slot clubs and EUR 4.56 million from betting, according to the Ministry of Finance. The minimum age of 18 applies at the door, and the self-exclusion rules described below apply to casinos as well.

The card block on gambling payments

Montenegro is the one country in our region where blocking foreign gambling payments demonstrably works. The UIS ordered all banks to block transactions to foreign merchants with gambling merchant category codes (MCCs), and the Central Bank of Montenegro enforces the order. Banks put it in place between May and July 2024. In a statement of 16 May 2025 the government reported zero card transactions to such sites in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, and said more than EUR 6 million a year had been stopped from leaving the country.

In practice, a Montenegrin bank card will usually be declined at a foreign gambling site. The 2025 law also lets the UIS request payment blocking against any unlicensed operator (Art. 80). We do not suggest ways around the block: crypto, prepaid vouchers and third-party wallets do not make an unlicensed site legal, and the regulator has said it is aware that crypto is used to try to avoid it.

Payments at licensed sites

Approved online operators may take deposits by bank card, bank transfer, a bank’s mobile or internet payment, or cash at one of their venues (Art. 84). The euro is the only legal tender in Montenegro, although the country is not a member of the eurozone. Montenegro joined the Single Euro Payments Area and made its first SEPA transactions on 7 October 2025, which makes euro transfers with EU banks faster and cheaper. Our payment methods guide compares the options across the region.

Website blocking and advertising rules

Article 80 sets out the blocking procedure: the UIS asks the telecoms regulator (EKIP) to block an unlicensed operator’s domain, IP address and mirrors, and the block is applied without delay. There is no public list of blocked sites. Local press reported that more than 450 sites were blocked in 2025.

Advertising is tightly limited. In a notice of 24 December 2025 the Ministry of Finance reminded operators that the 2025 law (Art. 19(1)) bans gambling advertising in public places, including billboards and panels. Operators may show their name and logo on their own premises and brand their vehicles, but may not invite people to play or point them to a website or app, and may not promote benefits such as bonuses, jackpots or free spins. The law also restricts gambling ads on radio, TV, in print and online, and it bans advertising an operator that has no Montenegrin approval in any medium. Fines reach EUR 5,000 to 20,000 for a company and EUR 1,000 to 2,000 for an individual. That is one reason this guide names only operators on the official list and contains no offers.

Players: age, fines and tax

The minimum age is 18 (Art. 20(1)). The same article bans taking part in foreign games of chance when the stakes are paid in Montenegro, which covers online play at any operator without a Montenegrin approval. Article 102 sets the fine for a natural person at EUR 1,000 to 2,000. We found no published case of a player being fined, but unlike Slovenia or Albania, Montenegro has a written player offence.

Tax on winnings from 1 January 2026

The 2026 rules come from an amendment published in Sl. list CG 160/25. The operator withholds the tax on every payout (Art. 50f), calculated on the win net of the stake (Art. 37s).

On a net win of EUR 2,000 the total would be EUR 220, if the bands apply progressively as the gazette text reads. The rules name lottery, betting (including credits to an online account) and global jackpots. Online casino winnings are not named, and we could not confirm how they are treated. The 2025 rule of 15% on wins above EUR 300 (Sl. list CG 88/24) no longer applies.

The rates may change again. On 2 April 2026 the government adopted a draft amendment to the Personal Income Tax Law that would replace the 0/10/15% scale with a single rate of 12%, to stop players splitting winnings to stay in the lower bands. As of 15 October 2026 we found no record that Parliament had passed it or published it in the Official Gazette, so the bands above are the ones in the enacted text. The operator withholds the tax either way, so the amount on your payout slip is the reliable figure.

Self-exclusion and getting help

Players can ask an operator to exclude them or to set limits, and the operator must act within 24 hours (Art. 14). The UIS keeps a register of excluded persons (Art. 15), and its rulebooks are listed on gov.me. Operators must also display a helpline and a treatment centre certified by the ministry (Art. 5). We could not verify any helpline number on an organisation’s own website, so we do not print one. Unlicensed sites are not bound by any of this, which is one more reason to stay with approved operators. Our responsible gambling page for Montenegro lists practical steps.

How Montenegro compares with its neighbours

How we checked this page

On 15 October 2026 we read the Law on Games of Chance (Sl. list CG 91/25) as published in the ministry catalogue, articles 3, 5, 6, 14, 15, 19, 20, 77, 78, 80, 83, 84, 99, 102 and 105 to 108, and the tax amendment in Sl. list CG 160/25. We downloaded the UIS spreadsheet of online operators active on 2 July 2025, read the government statement of 19 October 2023 on the two casino concessions, the Ministry of Finance revenue release of 11 June 2026 and the government statement of 16 May 2025 on the payment block, the Ministry of Finance notice of 24 December 2025 on advertising, the government press release of 2 April 2026 on the draft amendments, and checked the Central Bank of Montenegro notice on SEPA. Written by Maja Horvat, reviewed by Stefan Nikolić. See our rating method. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions about casinos in Montenegro

Is online gambling allowed in Montenegro?

Yes, but only with operators approved by the state. The Law on Games of Chance (Sl. list CG 91/25) treats gambling as an exclusive right of the state, which it can cede by government decision or approval. Online casino, betting and slots are open only to companies that already hold a land-based approval, each on a single domain. Sites without a Montenegrin approval are unlicensed and can be blocked.

Can players in Montenegro be fined for using foreign gambling sites?

On paper, yes. Article 20 bans taking part in foreign games of chance when the stakes are paid from Montenegro, which includes online play at operators without a Montenegrin approval. Article 102 sets a fine of EUR 1,000 to 2,000 for a natural person. We found no published case of a player being fined, but the rule is in force.

How are gambling winnings taxed in Montenegro in 2026?

Since 1 January 2026 (Sl. list CG 160/25) the first EUR 50 of a win is taxed at 0%, the part from EUR 50.01 to EUR 1,500 at 10%, and anything above EUR 1,500 at 15%. The tax applies to lottery, betting (including online account credits) and global jackpots, net of the stake, and the operator withholds it at payout. The old rule of 15% above EUR 300 no longer applies. A government draft of April 2026 proposes a flat 12% rate; we found no sign it has been enacted.

Why does my card payment to a gambling site fail in Montenegro?

Since mid-2024 Montenegrin banks block card transactions to foreign merchants that use gambling merchant codes. The Uprava za igre na sreću ordered the block and the Central Bank enforces it. The government reported zero such card transactions in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. Payments to operators approved in Montenegro are not affected by this block.

What is the minimum gambling age in Montenegro?

The minimum age is 18, under Article 20(1) of the Law on Games of Chance. It applies to land casinos, betting shops, slot clubs and online accounts at approved operators. Operators must not let minors take part, and online accounts are opened in the player’s own name at an approved operator. The same 18 rule applies across the region except Albania, where it is 21.

Which casinos in Montenegro are officially documented?

Under the previous law, government decisions of 19 October 2023 awarded ten-year casino concessions to Džek Pot d.o.o. for Casino Montenegro at the Hotel Crna Gora (Hilton) in Podgorica, and to NET Montenegro d.o.o. for the Merit Starlit casino in Budva. Under the 2025 law, rights are now granted by government decision or approval. We could not match other venues to a current official record, so check with the Uprava za igre na sreću before you rely on any venue’s claims.

Is there a gambling helpline in Montenegro?

The law requires operators to show a helpline and a certified treatment centre, but we could not verify any helpline number on an organisation’s own website, so we do not print one. Use the self-exclusion and limit tools that approved operators must offer, talk to your doctor, and see our responsible gambling page for practical steps.