The North Macedonia online gambling law places all online games of chance under a state monopoly from 2027. The Assembly adopted the new Act on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games on 29 June 2026, and it entered into force on 14 July 2026, replacing a framework that had been in place since 2011. Under the new law, the right to organise lottery, electronic and online games belongs to the state, exercised through a company in which the state is the sole shareholder. This guide sets out what the law changes, how the monopoly works, whether private operators can still take part, the new licence costs and duties, the transition timeline, and what the Act leaves to secondary legislation.
Key takeaways
- Regulator: Ministry of Finance and the Public Revenue Office; the organising right sits with a wholly state-owned company
- Internet gambling licence: 200,000 EUR for ten years, up from 50,000 EUR for four years
- Duty: 15% of gross gaming revenue on electronic and special games; 6% of turnover on lottery games
- Monopoly start: the state-owned company organises electronic games from 1 January 2027
- Scope: the licence authorises the North Macedonia market only and does not grant EU market access
What the North Macedonia online gambling law changes
The North Macedonia online gambling law ends a system that had allowed private participation. Under the previous regime, a company could organise electronic and online games if the state held at least 51% of the capital and kept final decision-making rights. The new Act removes the private minority stake. From now on, the organising right belongs to a company in which the state is the sole shareholder.
The monopoly covers lottery, electronic and internet games of chance. Closed-type raffles are the one lottery segment left outside it. So the change is structural rather than a simple fee update. It replaces a public-private model with full state ownership of the organising licence, and it resets the cost base, the compliance rules and the advertising limits at the same time. The sections below break down each part in the order an operator needs it.
How the state gambling monopoly works
Under the North Macedonia online gambling law, a joint-stock company owned entirely by the state holds the right to organise lottery, electronic and internet games. The company is due to begin organising electronic games on its own by 1 January 2027. Until then, the switch is not immediate. Transitional provisions let the existing organiser of electronic games keep operating under the old law until 31 December 2026 at the latest.
Because the organising right sits with a single state entity, there is no longer a route for a private company to hold an online gaming licence in its own name. That is the core of the reform. The state company becomes the licence holder, and every online product offered to players in North Macedonia runs under its authority. For operators used to holding their own licence, this is the point that changes the commercial model most. It also shapes how operators can structure any private involvement, which the next section explains.
Can private operators still take part
Private operators are not shut out completely. For electronic and internet games, the state-owned company can engage external legal entities chosen through a public call. In practice, that means a private contractor can supply technology, content or operational services under a competitively awarded contract, while the organising licence stays with the state. So the participation model shifts from licence holder to service provider.
The detail that matters most is not yet public. The Act sets out that the state company may run a public call, but it does not spell out how the competitive selection will work, what the evaluation criteria are, or how long a contract runs. Those procedures still depend on further rules from the Ministry of Finance. For operators weighing whether the contractor route fits their business, a costed review against your product and payment setup is more useful than the headline monopoly figure. The DD Consultus advisory team can model that route after the Ministry of Finance publishes the public-call terms.
Licence costs and gambling duties under the new law
The North Macedonia online gambling law raises the financial burden across the board. The internet gambling licence, previously issued for four years at 50,000 EUR, now runs for ten years at 200,000 EUR. The monthly fee for electronic games rises from 30 EUR to 200 EUR per terminal. Monthly duties on internet games change too. A flat 0.5% levy on total payments is replaced by 6% of total payments for lottery games and 15% of the difference between stakes and payouts, which is effectively gross gaming revenue, for electronic and special games.
Promotional giveaways carry their own charge. A social media contest based on likes, tags or shares now needs a Ministry of Finance permit and a fee of 18% of the prize fund. The table below sets out the headline items.
| Cost or duty item | Figure under the new law |
|---|---|
| Internet gambling licence | 200,000 EUR for ten years (was 50,000 EUR for four years) |
| Electronic game terminal fee | 200 EUR per terminal per month (was 30 EUR) |
| Duty on electronic and special games | 15% of gross gaming revenue (stakes minus payouts) |
| Duty on lottery games | 6% of total payments |
| Promotional giveaway permit | 18% of the prize fund, plus Ministry of Finance permit |
One part of the cost picture is still open. The Act refers to prescribed minimums of share capital for holding single or multiple licences, and to premises fees where the number of betting shops or slot clubs exceeds a base figure. The exact amounts sit in secondary legislation that the Minister of Finance has yet to issue. For that reason, budget against the confirmed fees above and treat the capital and premises figures as pending.
The transition timeline from 2026 to 2028
The handover runs in stages rather than in a single step. The law entered into force on 14 July 2026, but the strictest measures are deferred. The table below shows the sequence.
| Date | What applies |
|---|---|
| 14 July 2026 | The Act enters into force |
| Within six months | Existing operators meet the new advertising and reputation rules |
| 31 December 2026 | Latest date the existing organiser of electronic games may run under the old law |
| 1 January 2027 | The state-owned company begins organising electronic games |
| Within one year | Operators meet cumulative share capital requirements and premises fees |
| 1 January 2028 | GPS tracking on machines and the 500-metre school buffer take effect |
Two of the strictest rules wait until 2028. From 1 January that year, every gaming machine and video lottery terminal must carry GPS tracking linked to the Public Revenue Office. From the same date, casino, slot and electronic gaming premises must sit at least 500 metres from primary and secondary schools. So operators have a defined runway, but the operational test comes first: the state company must be ready to run electronic games by January 2027.
Compliance requirements for online operators
Online operators face a heavier technical load under the North Macedonia online gambling law. The Act requires a registered .mk domain, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 27701 certification, SSL, and high-assurance electronic identification of players. Payment transactions must route through banks based in North Macedonia. Winnings must be paid out only through those banks, and within five working days of a request.
Several existing safeguards stay in place. Operators keep one account per player, offer no credit to players, and hold player funds in segregated accounts. Self-exclusion and deposit-limit tools remain mandatory. Because the certification and payment rules apply from the transition period rather than in 2028, they sit near the front of the compliance queue. For the internal roles a regulator expects an operator to fill against integrity and reporting duties, see our guide to key function holders in iGaming. Ongoing gaming licensing compliance support keeps those controls current once a framework is live.
Advertising and player protection rules
The North Macedonia online gambling law tightens advertising and player protection at the same time. Exterior advertising on gambling premises is capped at 30 cm by 100 cm, except for casinos within 3 km of the border, and illuminated signage is banned. The law prohibits advertising that frames gambling as a route to social acceptance, personal or financial success, or a solution to economic or personal problems. It also bans celebrity endorsements and any material aimed at minors.
Media advertising carries mandatory warnings. Each message must state that participation is barred for under-18s and that gambling can cause addiction. This pattern of tighter promotion rules runs across several regulators at once. For comparison, the Italy gambling advertising ban keeps most promotion off-limits for licensed operators, while the UK gambling licence fee increase raises the cost of holding a licence. Reduced visibility for licensed brands can push players toward unlicensed sites, a pattern also visible in the Brazil illegal betting crackdown.
What the law still leaves to secondary legislation
Much of the detail an operator needs is not in the North Macedonia online gambling law itself. The Ministry of Finance has to issue secondary legislation on several points, and no adoption date is fixed yet. The gaps fall into a few clear areas.
- Fit-and-proper evidence: the Act sets integrity criteria for managers, shareholders and partners, and makes loss of good reputation an express ground for revocation, but the precise evidence needed to establish reputation is still to be defined.
- Share capital minimums: the prescribed amounts for holding single or multiple licences are not yet set.
- Premises thresholds: the base number of premises allowed under a licence, and the fee for exceeding it, are not specified.
- Processing times: the Act does not state how long the Ministry of Finance takes to approve giveaway permits or prior-consent requests for ownership and management changes.
- Public-call procedure: the competitive selection process for private contractors is referenced but not detailed.
Until those rules appear, parts of any entry plan stay provisional. So the practical step is to lock the confirmed figures now and revisit the open items when the Minister publishes the detail.
What the new law means for operators
The change matters for anyone active in or planning to enter the market. A private company can no longer hold an online gaming licence in North Macedonia in its own name, so the routes are either a service contract with the state company or a licence in another jurisdiction. The North Macedonia online gambling law also authorises the domestic market only. It does not grant EU market access. North Macedonia is an EU candidate country rather than a member, with accession negotiations opened in 2020, as the European Commission enlargement pages confirm.
The government presents the reform as a modernisation measure to protect minors, curb the grey economy and tighten supervision, while keeping an annual earmark of 60 to 120 million denars for disability organisations, groups fighting domestic violence and the Red Cross of North Macedonia. Industry associations have described the framework as detrimental and warned that it could affect jobs. Where the right response depends on your target markets and product mix, our guide on choosing the right gaming licence sets out the trade-offs, and operators comparing an EU base often review a Malta MGA licence for cross-border activity. A gaming licence acquisition service can then manage the application in the jurisdiction you choose.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in North Macedonia?
The North Macedonia online gambling law makes online gambling legal, but only the state may organise it. From 2027, a company owned entirely by the state holds the right to run lottery, electronic and internet games. Private companies can no longer hold an online gaming licence in their own name.
When does the North Macedonia state gambling monopoly start?
The Act on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games entered into force on 14 July 2026. The state-owned company is due to begin organising electronic games by 1 January 2027. The existing organiser may continue under the old law until 31 December 2026 at the latest.
How much does an internet gambling licence cost in North Macedonia?
The internet gambling licence now costs 200,000 EUR for ten years, up from 50,000 EUR for four years. Operators also pay 200 EUR per electronic game terminal each month. Share capital minimums are set by secondary legislation that the Minister of Finance has yet to issue.
Can private operators still run online gambling in North Macedonia?
Not as licence holders. The state-owned company can engage private contractors through a public call to supply technology, content or operational services. The organising licence stays with the state, and the public-call procedure is still to be defined.
What tax applies to online gambling in North Macedonia?
Electronic and special games carry a duty of 15% of the difference between stakes and payouts, effectively gross gaming revenue. Lottery games carry 6% of total payments. These monthly duties replace the previous flat 0.5% levy on total payments.
What compliance requirements apply to online operators?
Online operators need a registered .mk domain, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 27701 certification, SSL, and high-assurance electronic identification of players. Payments must route through banks based in North Macedonia, with winnings paid out through those banks within five working days. One account per player, segregated player funds and self-exclusion tools remain mandatory.
Does a North Macedonia gambling licence allow operating in other countries?
No. The licence authorises the North Macedonia market only and does not grant EU market access. North Macedonia is an EU candidate country, not a member. Operators serving several markets hold a separate licence for each one.
Plan your market entry with current rules
The North Macedonia online gambling law hands the organising right to a wholly state-owned company from 1 January 2027, raises the internet licence to 200,000 EUR for ten years, and applies a 15% gross gaming revenue duty on electronic and special games. Several figures, including share capital minimums and the public-call procedure, still depend on secondary legislation from the Minister of Finance. For a costed view of your options in North Macedonia and alternative jurisdictions, speak with the DD Consultus advisory team at contact@licencegaming.com or +356 99408536.