Last year, Montenegrin authorities blocked more than 450 unlicensed gambling websites. Despite these measures, illegal operators continue to find ways to adapt.
For the past three years, the Gambling Administration, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, has been working to prevent payments from Montenegrin bank accounts and cards to foreign gambling platforms.
Many unlicensed operators bypass restrictions by changing IP addresses, redirecting traffic to “mirror” sites, or integrating cryptocurrency payments, allowing Montenegrin players to deposit funds without using official gambling platforms.
Spasoje Papić, Director of the Gambling Administration, emphasised that such payment methods are not covered by Montenegro’s current Gambling Act.
He stated: “Such payments or gambling operations are considered illegal, as is any activity that would present additional challenges for monitoring financial flows.
“It is important to note that the Gambling Administration does not have statutory authority over this, and its online monitoring system tracks only transactions conducted in euros.”
In December last year, the Agency for Electronic Communications (EKIP) told local media that it had submitted a report to the Coordination Body for the Protection and Promotion of Public Interest in Gambling, outlining the challenges of monitoring and tackling illegal online gambling.
EKIP officials stated: “The report noted the need to align the Electronic Communications Act and Gambling Act, and to clarify responsibilities among institutions for better legal certainty and more efficient enforcement.”
Illegal gambling sites remain widely accessible, with many offering instructions in the local language on how Montenegrins can register, bypass regulations, deposit using cryptocurrencies and withdraw winnings.
In recent years, Montenegro has strengthened its legal framework with higher licence fees, a winnings tax, and stricter monitoring of deposits over €20.
Advertising for domestic operators is limited, while foreign and illegal platforms continue to promote their services online and on cable networks, often using local influencers.
According to the Montenegrin Gambling Administration, before card payments to illegal sites were blocked, more than $7m were sent to these platforms each year in 2022 and 2023, across over 130,000 transactions
