The federation was designed as a platform to coordinate policy across the region without replacing existing national bodies.
Seven national gaming associations from the Western Balkans have formed a collective Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF) to help progress regional collaboration in the gaming industry.
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the bodies in Belgrade this week during a meeting hosted by the Association of Gaming Operators of Serbia (AGOS). The initiative was co-driven by Bulgaria’s Association of Online Gaming and Gambling Operators in Bulgaria (AOGGAB).
Strengthen anti-illegal gambling enforcement
This agreement seeks to consolidate the voice of the region’s gambling industry, uniting seven national associations representing operators, suppliers, and technology providers. These range from Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.
The federation was designed as a platform to coordinate policy, compliance, and commercial activities across the region without replacing existing national bodies.
In a statement on Monday its said it aimed to leverage pooled expertise and resources to strengthen enforcement efforts against illegal gambling. It will also seek to combat unfair competition and facilitate the exchange of regulatory best practices, while conducting joint lobbying on legislative matters.
It also plans to promote business partnerships, organise regional events, and implement shared marketing initiatives designed to raise the Western Balkans’ profile within Europe’s gaming sector.
During the Belgrade meeting, participants presented market analyses and discussed initial contributions. The federation reached an agreement on a provisional brand identity and the establishment of internal communications to coordinate forthcoming initiatives.
The countries behind the federation
Initiated by Serbian and Bulgarian industry associations and hosted in Serbia’s capital, the memorandum coincided with ongoing regulatory reforms within the region. The countries share a varied spectrum of regulated gambling markets.
Serbia and Romania are known for sizeable online gambling sectors attracting international operators such as Bet365, Evoke and most recently Superbet via it acquisition of Maxbet.
Croatia and Bulgaria possess significant land-based casino industries in addition to expanding online operations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina operate a more fragmented regulatory environment, a challenge the federation seeks to address.
Bulgaria recently tightened sports betting rules to impose an absolute ban on betting among its national football players and team personnel. This comes after it increased the self-exclusion period to one year. As of March 2025, 54,000 people had opted into Bulgaria’s self-exclusion programme.
Croatia is in the process of implementing a national self-exclusion scheme for gamblers. Meanwhile, Montenegro is experiencing disputes over planned tax reforms.
Relationship with European bodies
A key discussion point was the federation’s relationship with EUROMAT, the prominent European amusement and gaming association. Some member bodies of the BGF already maintain memberships with EUROMAT.
The consensus from the meeting was to position the BGF as a distinct Balkan cluster that maintains connections with existing European frameworks while asserting its own regional identity.
The associations scheduled a subsequent gathering on 26 May, coinciding with the Belgrade Future Gaming exhibition.
Organisers have anticipated finalising the federation’s governance structure and electing its president by autumn 2026.