VELJANOVSKI: RECORD REVENUE OF OVER BAM 170 MILLION

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 1 /SRNA/ - Revenue from fees for organizing games of chance and taxes on winnings exceeded BAM 170 million last year, which is the highest annual revenue ever recorded, Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Games of Chance Administration Draženko Veljanovski told SRNA.

Veljanovski stated that the exact amount will be determined later this month, once all payments have been consolidated, but emphasized that it is already certain that last year was a record-breaking year in terms of revenue collected on this basis. "Such revenue collection results are not solely the outcome of the dedicated and responsible work of the Republika Srpska Games of Chance Administration, but also of an evidently increased level of responsible business conduct by gambling operators, as well as the functioning of the computerized system for monitoring gaming operations," Veljanovski said in an interview with SRNA. He added that oversight of operators' business activities has enabled the Republika Srpska Games of Chance Administration to respond more easily and swiftly to identified irregularities, thereby preventing the operation of the grey market in this sector, which had caused Republika Srpska to lose millions of BAM in previous years. "Additionally, throughout the year we remained in contact with gambling operators and representatives of the Ministry of Finance of Republika Srpska, with the aim of exchanging views and experiences in the application of laws and by-laws, and achieving a shared objective - creating conditions for fair competition among operators, stronger action against the grey market, and preventing the participation of minors in games of chance," Veljanovski emphasized. He added that experiences were also exchanged with colleagues from Serbia's Games of Chance Administration regarding the implementation of reform regulations that follow both domestic and global gambling markets. "Thanks to all these activities, we can say that the games of chance market in Republika Srpska is now much better regulated, and that positive financial effects for the Republika Srpska budget have been achieved," Veljanovski said. Regarding inspection oversight, Veljanovski noted that inspectors from the Republika Srpska Games of Chance Administration issued 71 infraction notices last year, totaling BAM 182,300. He added that this represents a smaller number of infraction notices compared to the previous year, indicating that inspection controls have led to increased discipline in the operations of gambling operators, as well as a greater awareness that any form of illegal activity will prompt a response from supervisory authorities. "Inspection controls also resulted in the seizure of a larger number of items used for the illegal organization of games of chance. In 2025, a total of 268 items were destroyed, mainly illegal slot machines, terminals used for organizing electronic games of chance, as well as other confiscated equipment for which destruction was ordered based on final court decisions," Veljanovski said.