Montenegro’s government has put gambling businesses and the country’s media sector on notice ahead of a tougher 2026 enforcement push, warning that the rollout of its revamped ‘Law on Games of Chance’ will be treated as a complete compliance reset rather than a loose transition period.
Reports claim that authorities are currently accelerating checks across the land-based estate, tightening expectations around licensing and equipment certification, and increasing pressure on broadcasters, publishers, and digital platforms to comply with a sweeping advertising clampdown. This move, with the recent message, collectively raises the cost of non-compliance for operators and their commercial partners.
A reform package that is now moving from “passed” to “policed”
Montenegro’s overhaul started this summer, when lawmakers adopted a new Law on Games of Chance designed to replace a concession-heavy model with a more direct approvals framework, introduce higher fees, restrict gambling advertising and increase player-registration requirements
While much of the public debate focused on the consumer-facing pieces, especially advertising, industry stakeholders have increasingly framed the next phase as the one that matters commercially: how the state enforces the new framework across the entire supply chain, from venue operations and terminals to marketing and media inventory.
The government has signaled that 2026 will be the year those expectations harden in practice, with compliance obligations extending beyond license holders to suppliers, advertisers and media organizations.
Advertising rules put media and affiliates inside the compliance perimeter
One of the clearest signals to brands has been the tightening approach to advertising. The law includes strict limitations that, in effect, push gambling promotion out of mainstream public visibility, restricting what can be marketed and where. Local reporting around the law’s passage highlighted restrictions on advertising “in the media” and on public surfaces, alongside tighter rules on how operators can present gambling products.
Finance Minister Novica Vuković captured the government’s posture bluntly when discussing advertising restrictions: “If someone violates the advertising ban, they should be sanctioned.”
Inspections intensify: certification, terminals and venue compliance
Alongside the advertising crackdown, regulators have escalated inspections of gambling venues, focusing on whether operations match the new licensing and technical standards, particularly around gaming machines, terminals and certification.
In recent enforcement activity reported locally, inspections resulted in the seizure of gambling machines and terminals and the opening of proceedings where authorities said irregularities were identified.
Possible implications of the crackdown, beyond Montenegro
Montenegro’s gambling reset is also being watched throughout Europe. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić has publicly set an ambitious target for Montenegro to join the European Union by 2028. With that timeline pressure increases on regulators to demonstrate credible, enforceable rule-of-law reforms across multiple sectors.
It may become a test case for enforcement credibility before the deadline. That is, whether the state can reduce informal practices, narrow grey-market activity, and apply consistent standards across operators and the media economy that monetizes gambling attention.
Source: Connecting Region