Online Gambling in Croatia
Croatia is a small nation located in southeastern Europe that borders Slovenia and Hungary. It’s a very friendly country in terms of gambling laws. In fact, nearly every type of gambling is legal and regulated in Croatia - that includes online casinos. Croatia was once a part of the Soviet Union, gaining its independence in 1991. Almost immediately, the country began to offer legal casino gambling in land-based casinos around the country. Things were a bit slower in terms of online gambling. The laws didn’t really catch up until 2014. That said, today it’s legal to gamble at online casinos operating in Croatia that have obtained a license from the Ministry of Finance.
Online Gambling in Croatia
Croatia is a small nation located in southeastern Europe that borders Slovenia and Hungary. It’s a very friendly country in terms of gambling laws. In fact, nearly every type of gambling is legal and regulated in Croatia – that includes online casinos.
Croatia was once a part of the Soviet Union, gaining its independence in 1991. Almost immediately, the country began to offer legal casino gambling in land-based casinos around the country.
Things were a bit slower in terms of online gambling. The laws didn’t really catch up until 2014. That said, today it’s legal to gamble at online casinos operating in Croatia that have obtained a license from the Ministry of Finance.
History of Gambling in Croatia
Croatians have long been fans of gambling. Unfortunately, the country was under Soviet control for much of its modern history, so legal gambling options were very limited. Since the 1960s, legal gambling options in Croatia were limited to only a few state-run venues.
When Croatia gained its independence from the USSR in 1991, casinos opened within months. These land-based casinos were legal. Today there are more than 20 land-based casinos in Croatia.
After 1991, gambling was legal across Croatia, but online gambling laws didn’t really catch up until 2014. In that year, the country passed a gambling law that solidified the rules of all types of gambling in the country including online gambling.
After 2014, the online gambling industry in Croatia really took off. The Ministry of Finance took over licensing. International gambling operators were welcomed. Today, any gambling operator can apply for a license to run an online casino in Croatia.
Licenses for online casinos in Croatia require an annual fee of 3 million Croatian Kuna which is about €395,000. There are also extensive gambling taxes imposed on both gambling operators and players. Gamblers must be at least 18 years old to play at licensed online casinos in Croatia.
Croatian Online Casinos
Today, there’s a long list of legal and licensed online casinos operating in Croatia.
However, Croatian gamblers are not limited only to licensed casinos operating within the country. Croatian gamblers can also legally access and play at licensed international online casinos while located in Croatia.
When looking at any international online casino, make sure that Croatian players are accepted. Many online casinos also accept Croatian Kuna as currency and offer a Croatian language option.
Best Croatian Online Casinos
We have a list of our best Croatian online casinos here on this page. We have chosen these sites based on a list of criteria in order to make sure these sites are safe.
The main thing to check is the casino gambling license. For international casinos, the most reputable licensing jurisdictions are the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the government of Curaçao.
Additionally, if a casino works with eCOGRA, you can be confident that games will be fair. This organization does independent verification of online casino games to make sure they are random for all players.
We have verified every site we recommend here on this page. Each one accepts Croatian players and is safe to play at. All of them offer 24/7 customer support, a wide range of games from top iGaming developers, and multiple payment options.