The gambling industry in the Balkans has begun organizing itself as a regional bloc against Brussels after pressure increased within the European Union to move toward a uniform taxation model for online gaming. The clash is opening a new debate around regulatory sovereignty, fiscal competitiveness and the defense of national betting markets across Eastern Europe.
The trigger came after a proposal promoted by Victor Negrescu, vice president of the European Parliament and member of Romania’s Social Democratic Party, who suggested exploring a European contribution or levy on online gaming operators. Industry estimates place the potential revenue between €2 billion and €4 billion annually, with projections reaching as much as €28 billion under the EU’s multiannual budget framework.
Victor Negrescu
The strongest reaction emerged from Bulgaria. Milen Totev, president of the Association of Organisers of Gambling Games and Activities in Bulgaria (AOGGAB), warned that a harmonized gaming tax could create “chaos and uncertainty” because gambling regulation remains under national jurisdiction within the European Union. Totev questioned how the money would be collected, who would administer it and how licensed operators would avoid being punished while the offshore market continues expanding.
Milen Totev
Gaming associations from Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia accelerated the creation of the Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF), introduced in Belgrade in late March 2026 as a regional coordination and institutional defense mechanism for the regulated gaming sector. The new federation includes organizations such as AGOS from Serbia, AOGGAB from Bulgaria, HUPIS from Croatia, ROMSLOT from Romania, GPIS from Montenegro, UPIS RS from Bosnia and MAK GEJMING from North Macedonia. The next formal step will take place on May 26 during Belgrade Future Gaming 2026, where statutes and leadership structure are expected to be discussed.
The debate comes as Eurasia and the Balkans continue showing some of the most dynamic gaming markets outside Western Europe. Georgia keeps expanding international online licensing, Ukraine strengthens regulatory cooperation with Meta and Google for legal advertising, Armenia continues promoting technology hubs with providers such as Digitain and BetConstruct, while Kazakhstan maintains strict controls on online casinos but continues expanding sports betting and tote operations.
The regional narrative is now focused on defending legal gaming as a strategic industry tied to investment, technology, tourism and fiscal revenue, while avoiding a European tax harmonization model that Balkan operators believe could weaken competitiveness, increase fiscal pressure and benefit illegal offshore platforms operating outside regulated systems.
