Google will tighten its gambling advertising policy in Croatia from 7 October. The update will prohibit affiliate and media platforms from promoting online gambling-related content targeting the country and revoke existing advertiser certifications.
Licensed operators, however, will still be able to promote online gambling under the existing regulatory rules. This includes paid media, subject to domestic watershed and content restrictions.
Croatia’s 2025 Gambling Act overhauled local regulations, with most changes taking effect at the beginning of the year. The law prohibits gambling advertising between 6am and 11pm online and in audiovisual media.
It also bans gambling advertisements in print media and on publicly visible surfaces. Digital media outlets are prohibited from linking directly to gambling operators. Sponsorship advertising is not completely prohibited but is limited to displaying the company name, logo and operator’s brand.
The 2025 law also laid the foundation for Croatia’s first self-exclusion register. In July, the Croatian Ministry of Health adopted the first set of administrative rules governing the register's management, setting the framework for universal self-exclusion.
The biggest change from the previous system is that players no longer have to exclude themselves separately with each gambling operator. Once a person is entered into the register, the exclusion automatically applies to all licensed gambling operators in Croatia.
More than 11,200 citizens have requested exclusion since the register was established a year ago.
Furthermore, the Croatian Institute of Public Health has recently presented recommendations aimed at reducing the risks associated with online gambling and protecting children and young people.
The institute is calling for simpler self-exclusion, spending and time limits, cooling-off periods, as well as mandatory “reality checks” showing players how much time and money they have spent.
Croatia’s updated gambling regulations have also tightened oversight and raised licence costs
