North Macedonia Transfers Exclusive Online Gambling Rights to Wholly State-Owned Company from 2027
TL;DR — North Macedonia’s Assembly passed legislation transferring exclusive online gambling rights to a 100% state-owned company from January 1, 2027. Licence fees rise to €200,000 for 10 years; taxes shift to 15% GGR on electronic games. The law adds strict compliance rules and responsible gambling measures while permitting subcontracting via procurement.
SCCG Take — This structural shift toward full state control creates procurement opportunities but risks limiting competition and innovation compared with liberalising neighbours.
North Macedonia’s Assembly has approved a new Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games that transfers the right to organise online gambling exclusively to a wholly state-owned company from January 1, 2027. The legislation, passed on June 29 by 60 votes to 20, replaces the framework governing the sector since 2011. It enters into force in July.
As reported by G3 Newswire, the law ends the prior model in which private companies could organise electronic and online games provided the operating company was majority state-owned. From 2027 onward, only a 100 per cent state-owned entity may hold the organising right. Private operators and suppliers are not fully excluded; the state company may subcontract technology providers, platform suppliers, content developers and operational services via public procurement.
Details of the Regulatory Overhaul
Financial and compliance obligations tighten materially. The licence fee for internet gambling increases from €50,000 for a four-year licence to €200,000 for a 10-year licence. Taxation replaces the previous 0.5 per cent levy on total payments with a 15 per cent gross gaming revenue tax for electronic games and a six per cent levy on lottery payments.
Operators and suppliers face mandatory ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 certification, exclusive use of a North Macedonian .mk domain, payment processing only through domestic banks, and enhanced fit-and-proper assessments for managers and shareholders. Loss of reputation is now an explicit ground for licence revocation. Gambling venues must sit at least 500 metres from primary and secondary schools, measured by the safest pedestrian route. The government states the package will improve consumer protection, combat the grey market and strengthen anti-money laundering controls.
The Competitive Implications
The framework sets North Macedonia on a path distinct from several neighbouring European markets that are weighing greater private-sector participation. For client-partners, this consolidation of ownership signals higher barriers and a procurement-driven model rather than direct licensing. The central question is whether the state-led structure will deliver the intended controls without dampening market growth or innovation that private operators have historically provided. Suppliers should track the first public tenders closely as the 2027 deadline approaches.
Reporting: G3 Newswire
State monopoly replaces private licensing; suppliers pivot to public tenders, innovation and competition risk compression.
We've watched half of Europe liberalize while North Macedonia moves the opposite direction. From 2027, only a wholly state-owned entity holds the online license—private operators become subcontractors competing through procurement. That changes partner strategy, compliance spend, and market access entirely for anyone eyeing the Balkans.
- License fees jump to €200,000 for 10 years; tax shifts to 15% GGR
- ISO 27001/27701 certification, .mk domain, domestic banking mandatory
- Private operators and suppliers compete via state company procurement only
SCCG angle: SCCG has deep procurement and regulatory advisory relationships across emerging European markets. We help suppliers position for state tenders, navigate ISO certification pathways, and connect with the domestic banking and compliance partners required under the new framework—turning a monopoly model into a traceable revenue channel.