Slovenian online casinos for Real Money

The first thing you need to know about gambling in Slovenia is that all forms of gambling are legal – both online and land-based betting. Slovenia became independent from Yugoslavia in 1991 when gambling was only legal for tourists, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the Law on Gambling (known locally as Zakon o igrah na sre
o) was passed. Despite the laws stating that locals and tourists alike can play in Slovenia’s casinos, it is still the latter that tends to raise the most revenue for the state.

Online gambling is legal in Slovenia, but only since 2016. Regrettably, things aren’t as comfortable for Slovenians as they are for those in other EU member states. This is because just one brand is permitted to offer online casino games in the state. Casino Portorož is the only operator licensed in the state. Offshore operators and even those based in other EU countries are not permitted to cater to Slovenians. Because of this, EU legislation on gambling takes precedence. EU law says that if other EU companies aren’t permitted to obtain a license, Slovenians cannot be punished or prosecuted for playing at offshore casinos. This will be great news to those based in the country.

While Slovenians are free to play at offshore casinos (without prosecution), the state is not happy about it. Therefore, successive Slovenian governments have toyed with the idea of opening the market to foreign operators. Most recently, the Slovenian Draft Gambling Act has been pending approval. This would give offshore operators the chance they want while making it legal to blacklist sites that aren’t licensed in the country. However, there has been no movement in this sector yet.

Apart from online casinos, Slovenians can also play at lottery and bingo sites. However, these (like the casino sector) are run by a single player, namely the Slovenian National Lottery. Similarly, sports betting is the plaything of Sportna Loterija, one of the national lottery’s subsidiaries.

All gambling licenses are issued by the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia. This licensing body has deemed that only fifteen land-based casinos may be licensed and no more than forty-five slot halls. The licensing authority does increase the number of licenses periodically but hasn’t done so of late.

In terms of online gambling licenses, the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia is only permitted to hand licenses to those Slovenian companies already listed. If (potentially when) Slovenia changes its gambling laws and opens this sector up to foreign brands, the same licensing body should also have jurisdiction to award those operators licenses. This remains to be seen, though.

Slovenians aged 18 or older are permitted to gamble on games. Both virtual and sports betting are legal and quite popular with players in the country. However, they are run as monopolies, as mentioned. Slots tend to be far more popular with Slovenian players than table games. This naturally sees a wealth of slot halls active across the country.

A couple of software providers have offices in Slovenia. GameArt is probably the most notable of those brands. However, Oryx Gaming is another established brand that is based out of Slovenia (amongst other places). Finally, you have SlotVision. SlotVision actually comes from Slovenia, and as their name suggests, they predominantly produce slot games. This is further proof, if needed, that Slovenians simply prefer slots to most other gambling games that they can find online.

Slovenian licensed casinos are only open to players based in the country. You will need to go through a KYC process which establishes whether you are based in Slovenia or not. However, there are no such limitations for players looking to play at offshore casinos. If you’re going to play at a Slovenian-licensed casino, you will need to have an address in the country or at least be a Slovenian player based offshore but with ties to the country.

Offshore casinos accept players from many different countries, including Slovenia. However, these do not often directly appeal to Slovenians. For instance, while they may accept the euro currency, they may have limited Slovenia-friendly payment options. Furthermore, support and gameplay won’t be available in Slovenian in most cases. If you want these sorts of options, you will need to sign up and play at a Slovenian-licensed casino. It is up to you to gauge which is better suited for your needs.