Responsible Gambling: Helplines and Self-Exclusion in Every Balkan Country

Responsible gambling means staying in control of how much time and money you spend, and getting help early when that stops working. This page lists, country by country, the help services and self-exclusion options we could verify on each organisation’s own website, followed by practical tools: limits, warning signs, and ways to block gambling sites and payments. If you need help now in Croatia, call the Sveti Ivan psychiatric hospital on 01 3430 000; in Serbia, the Drajzerova addiction hospital on +381 11 3671 429; in Slovenia, Idrija psychiatric hospital on 041 481 566.

Gambling is for adults only: 18 and over in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, and 21 and over in Albania.

Help and self-exclusion by country

Where we could not verify a number on the organisation’s own site, we do not print one. For those countries, the advice in each section below still applies.

Serbia

The Specijalna bolnica za bolesti zavisnosti at Teodora Drajzera 44 in Belgrade treats gambling problems, with a day hospital for non-chemical addictions and a club for people in recovery called MOST. Phone +381 11 3671 429 or +381 11 2662 727. The Institut za mentalno zdravlje at Milana Kašanina 3 runs a clinic for addiction diseases on +381 11 3307 500. The Games of Chance Administration (Uprava za igre na sreću) publishes a free self-test on its website.

Under article 95a of the Law on Games of Chance, licensed online operators must offer limits and self-exclusion for at least 24 hours, and a permanent exclusion cannot be reversed for 12 months. The Games of Chance Administration passes your exclusion on to every licensed online operator where you hold an account. It does not reach offshore casinos. More background is in our Serbia guide.

Croatia

Croatia has a national register of excluded players run by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ). It has taken requests since 1 August 2025 and has been visible to all licensed operators since 1 November 2025. You apply online at hana.hzjz.hr using e-Građani, and no exclusion can be revoked before at least three months have passed. Questions go to +385 1 4863 222 or [email protected]. See the HZJZ instructions for applying.

For treatment, Klinika za psihijatriju Sveti Ivan, Jankomir 11, Zagreb, runs a project on compulsive gambling. Switchboard 01 3430 000, appointments +385 1 3430 001. The HZJZ register binds licensed Croatian operators only. Our Croatia guide explains who is licensed.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ministry of Finance publishes a list of treatment centres. It includes the Zavod za bolesti ovisnosti Kantona Sarajevo (033/257-750), the psychiatry clinic of UKC Tuzla (035/268-111), the Zavod za bolesti ovisnosti of Zenica-Doboj Canton (032/244-544), and two NGOs: PROI (+387 33 558 506) and NARKO-NE (033 215 088). We have not re-checked each number on the centre’s own site, so we cite them as listed by the ministry.

We found no national self-exclusion register in the Federation and no verified helpline for Republika Srpska or Brčko District. In those areas, a family doctor or the local mental health centre (centar za mentalno zdravlje) is the first step. Our Bosnia and Herzegovina guide covers the three different legal systems.

Montenegro

Montenegro’s gambling law, in force since 14 August 2025, lets players ask an operator for exclusion or limits, which the operator must apply within 24 hours, and the regulator keeps a register of excluded persons. Operators must also display a helpline and a certified treatment centre. We could not verify a helpline on an organisation’s own website, so we do not print a number. Ask your family doctor or the local health centre (dom zdravlja) for a referral. See our Montenegro guide.

North Macedonia

The gambling law that took effect in July 2026 requires venues to show contact details of an addiction institution certified by the Ministry of Health. We could not verify a gambling helpline on an organisation’s own site, and a lottery customer service line is not a helpline, so we list no number. Your family doctor can refer you to specialist care. See our North Macedonia guide.

Slovenia

Slovenia has the region’s strongest self-exclusion system. Under article 9 of the Gaming Act (ZIS) you can bar yourself from all licensed gambling, online included, for six months to three years, and the exclusion cannot be cancelled during that period. The form, “Izjava o samoprepovedi”, is published free of charge on the FURS eDavki portal, but you file it at a casino, a gaming hall or with a licensed online operator, and the route differs by site: in person with ID for Casino.si and 777Casino.si, in the account on SuperCasino.si and e-Stave. FURS does not accept it. The Financial Administration recorded 2,811 new self-exclusions in 2025 and 5,349 active ones on 31 December 2025.

For treatment, the non-chemical addictions department of Psihiatrična bolnišnica Idrija takes calls on 041 481 566 on weekdays from 13:00 to 15:00, or email [email protected]. Loterija Slovenije’s responsible gaming page also lists the addiction centre at ZD Nova Gorica on 05 338 32 65. The youth project Mladi hazarder (mladihazarder.si) has information for young people and families. See our Slovenia guide.

Albania

The minimum gambling age in Albania is 21. We found no gambling helpline or treatment centre that we could verify on an organisation’s own site, so we do not print a number. Start with your family doctor, who can refer you to mental health services. Our Albania guide explains the 2019 restrictions.

Bulgaria

The minimum gambling age in Bulgaria is 18. The National Drugs, Alcohol and Gambling Helpline, run by the Solidarnost association, answers anonymously on 0888 99 18 66 on working days during the daytime, and its own website also offers a chat and a contact form.

National self-exclusion runs through the “Регистър на хазартно уязвимите лица” (register of gambling-vulnerable persons), which the National Revenue Agency keeps under Article 10г of the Gambling Act. The register is not public, and licensed operators must refuse anyone on it. To apply, hand in the form “Искане за вписване в регистъра” in person at an NRA office, or email it to [email protected] signed with a qualified electronic signature (КЕП). Removal or changes are made in person or through a legal representative, as the NRA’s own page explains. See our Bulgaria guide, or the Bulgarian-language page on responsible gambling.

Unlicensed sites and national self-exclusion

National registers in Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, and operator-based exclusion in Serbia and Montenegro, bind only locally licensed operators. Unlicensed offshore sites are not connected to any of them, so a Croatian, Slovenian or Bulgarian self-exclusion will not stop you opening an account at an unlicensed site. That is one reason we list only operators licensed in the reader’s country.

If you have excluded yourself nationally, add the tools below as well: close any accounts you hold at unlicensed sites, turn on a card gambling block and install a blocking app. When we compare licensed operators, we report whether limits and self-exclusion can be set inside the account and which national scheme covers the operator.

Set limits before you play

Decide your limits when you are calm, not in the middle of a session. Most casinos and bookmakers offer these in the account settings:

• Deposit limit per day, week or month. Lowering a limit usually takes effect at once; raising it often has a waiting period.
• Loss limit, which stops play once net losses reach the amount you set.
• Session limit and reality checks, which remind you how long you have played.
• Time-out or cooling-off, a short break of a day to a few weeks.
• Self-exclusion, a longer block that the casino should not lift on request during the period.

Keep gambling money separate from money for rent, bills and food. Treat any deposit as the cost of entertainment, not as an investment. Bonuses with high wagering keep money in play longer, which is one reason our casino bonus guide explains wagering in euros.

Warning signs

Gambling may be becoming a problem if you recognise several of these:

• You spend more money or time than you planned, again and again.
• You chase losses by betting more to win back what you lost.
• You borrow money, sell things or use money meant for bills to gamble.
• You hide gambling from family or lie about how much you spend.
• You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Gambling causes arguments, or affects your work, studies or sleep.
• You gamble to escape stress, worry or low mood.

Recognising one or two signs is a good moment to set limits. Recognising more is a reason to talk to one of the services above.

Blocking tools

Blocks work best in layers, so a single moment of temptation meets more than one barrier.

• Card gambling block. Revolut’s app has a gambling block in its security settings (profile icon, then Security, then Payments). It stops card payments coded as gambling immediately, and switching it off takes up to 48 hours, according to Revolut’s help page. It does not cover bank transfers or third-party apps. Ask your own bank whether it offers a similar block. Our payment methods guide explains how deposits work.
• Blocking software. BetBlocker is free and runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. You choose a block from one day to five years, and once it starts it cannot be lifted before the period ends. Short blocks end on their own; longer ones carry on until you deactivate them. Paid apps such as Gamban work in a similar way.
• Device settings. The parental controls built into phones and computers can block gambling sites and app installs. A family-filter DNS service on your home router covers every device on the network.
• Remove the shortcuts. Delete gambling apps, saved card details and bookmarks, and unsubscribe from casino emails and text messages.

If someone close to you gambles too much

Talk at a calm moment, about specific events rather than labels. Do not pay off gambling debts for them without a plan, as that can keep the cycle going. The treatment services above also advise families. Look after yourself too: keep your own money separate and protect shared accounts. If there is a risk to anyone’s safety, call the emergency services.

How we checked this page

On 15 October 2026 we checked the Serbian helpline numbers on the Drajzerova hospital’s contact page and the Institut za mentalno zdravlje site, the Croatian register details on the HZJZ instructions page, the FBiH treatment centres on the Federal Ministry of Finance list, Slovenia’s self-exclusion form on FURS eDavki and its 2025 figures in the FURS annual report, and the Idrija hospital’s department page. For Bulgaria we checked the Solidarnost helpline on drugsinfo-bg.org and the NRA’s page on applying to the register of gambling-vulnerable persons. For Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania we found no helpline we could verify on an organisation’s own site, so none is printed. Revolut’s gambling block and BetBlocker were checked on their own pages. Back to the home page, or contact us if a number has changed.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get help for a gambling problem in Croatia?

Klinika za psihijatriju Sveti Ivan in Zagreb runs a compulsive-gambling project: switchboard 01 3430 000, appointments +385 1 3430 001. To bar yourself from licensed Croatian operators, apply to the HZJZ register of excluded players at hana.hzjz.hr with e-Građani. Questions go to +385 1 4863 222. No exclusion can be revoked within its first three months.

How does self-exclusion work in Slovenia?

Under article 9 of the Gaming Act you can exclude yourself from all licensed gambling in Slovenia, online included, for six months to three years. You file the form, published on FURS eDavki, at a casino, a gaming hall or with a licensed online operator. The exclusion cannot be cancelled during that period. It covers only Slovenian licensed operators, not offshore casinos, so add a card block and blocking software too.

Is there a gambling helpline in Serbia?

The Specijalna bolnica za bolesti zavisnosti (Drajzerova) in Belgrade treats gambling problems and runs a day hospital for non-chemical addictions: +381 11 3671 429 or +381 11 2662 727. The Institut za mentalno zdravlje has an addiction clinic on +381 11 3307 500. Licensed online operators must also offer self-exclusion.

Does national self-exclusion block offshore casinos?

No. Croatia’s HZJZ register, Slovenia’s FURS self-exclusion and operator-based exclusion in Serbia and Montenegro bind only locally licensed operators. Unlicensed offshore sites are not connected. Close any accounts you hold at such sites, and add a card gambling block and blocking software such as BetBlocker.

How can I block gambling sites on my phone?

Install blocking software such as BetBlocker, which is free on Android and iOS and lets you choose a block from one day to five years that cannot be lifted before the period ends. Turn on your phone’s parental controls, delete gambling apps and saved cards, and, if you bank with Revolut, enable its gambling block under Security and Payments.

What is the minimum gambling age in the Balkans?

It is 18 in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia, and 21 in Albania. Licensed operators must check age before you can play. Our site is meant only for adults of legal gambling age in their own country.