The Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF) has confirmed that Croatia will serve as its official headquarters, as the organisation enters its next phase of development alongside a regional initiative targeting illegal gambling across the Balkans.
The development was outlined at the second working meeting of the BGF in Belgrade, with the Association of Organisers of Gambling Games and Activities in Bulgaria (AOGGAB) reporting on the outcome.
Filip Jelevic, Secretary General of the Croatian association HUPIS and member of the Executive Committee of EUROMAT, has been elected chair of the statute working group. The group will draft a text in line with Croatian legislation, followed by an online meeting for discussion and a final vote.
On 29 September, the EUROMAT Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting, followed on 30 September in Bucharest by the election of the first President of the Balkan Gaming Federation. Both events will be hosted by the Romanian association ROMSLOT.
The sequencing highlights cooperation between EU and Balkan gaming bodies within the EUROMAT framework.
Preparations are also underway for a regional roundtable with Balkan regulators as illegal gambling continues to grow while legal operators face increasing regulatory, financial and administrative pressure.
The roundtable will bring together BGF, EUROMAT, industry stakeholders, experts and regulators to focus on tackling illegal gambling, protecting the legal industry and improving dialogue between industry and institutions.
The alliance includes the following associations: AOGGAB (Bulgaria), UPIS (Republika Srpska), AGOS (Serbia), HUPIS (Croatia), ROMSLOT (Romania), MAK Gaming (North Macedonia), and the Group of Organizers of Games of Chance of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro
