The Macedonian Draft Law on Gambling and Entertainment has been returned to the Government for further refinement. It was previously presented with considerable publicity by government officials, but remained inactive in Parliament for several months before being withdrawn from the parliamentary procedure.
The core of the proposed changes required casinos and gambling halls with slot machines to be located at least 500 metres away from primary and secondary schools.
The provisions were planned to take effect on 1 July 2027. The distance requirement was also intended to apply to casinos located inside hotels. Betting shops that do not host machines were excluded from these changes.
In summer 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Izet Mexhiti stated that the Government also plans to ban advertising and increase fees on gambling venues.
These changes were expected to have a major impact on the land-based gambling industry, with local associations warning that they could lead to the closure of around half of all gambling venues.
The Government approved the draft law on 16 July 2025 and submitted it to Parliament on 7 August 2025. Meanwhile, there were multiple delays and repeated postponements in placing it on the parliamentary agenda.
In response to inquiries from local media, the Government did not provide further clarification regarding the law’s withdrawal from the parliamentary procedure. Furthermore, Government officials did not specify when the revised draft law would be resubmitted to Parliament.
The previous Government also attempted to introduce similar changes. In March 2024, Parliament failed to adopt measures requiring gambling venues to be located more than 500 metres from educational venues.
Last year, the total turnover of the gambling industry in North Macedonia reached €2.83bn ($3.33bn), according to data obtained by local media from the Public Revenue Office
