According to the Gambling Authority, Bar is the champion among coastal cities in terms of the number of betting shops, with 64 facilities for organizing games of chance. Budva is right behind it with 61 betting shops, while Herceg Novi is in third place with 46.
The people of Kotor gamble somewhat less, at least in terms of the number of establishments, as they have 27 betting shops, and Tivat and Ulcinj share last place with 22 betting shops. There are more than 1.100 betting and gambling establishments in Montenegro, with the most in the capital, almost 350.
Facilities that organize and offer games of chance are located just under 300 meters from two high schools in Bar, according to Google Maps. However, the situation on the ground confirms that these facilities are only a few dozen steps away from the School of Economics and Hospitality and the Gymnasium, when you walk through the open road in the “Izbor” department store.
In the very center of Bar, there are at least five casinos and almost twice as many betting shops. This not only affects the visual identity of the city, the everyday experience of multiethnic Bar, but also exposes citizens, especially young people, to additional risk of addiction caused by games of chance.
This is what the interlocutors of "Vijesti" claim and warn of the long-term problems that this use of space can have for society.
The lights of the Kocarcnica that illuminate the city center at night are a symbolic representation, they believe, of the offer of content in Bar, the diversity of which is evidently lacking.
Baits for developing addiction
Whether the local authorities are concerned about this situation and the use of the space remains an open question, since the Municipality of Bar did not respond to a request about this issue. The citizens of Bar who were interviewed by "Vijesti" also believe that gambling destroys families, and who, for the sake of their privacy and because their family members are also addicted to gambling, wished to remain anonymous.
The "gambling culture" in Bar is one of the biggest problems, believes Jovana (real name known to the editorial staff), since three members of her family have developed gambling addiction. As she said, the small environment feeds and further encourages this, since personal acquaintances make it easier for children and minors to gamble and bet.
"Our case is not isolated, every person from Bar knows at least one family that has a problem with a member who gambles, it's no secret. Maybe even every family in their inner or wider circle has a problem with a member or relative who has caused a problem for everyone because of it," she says.
She did not want to go into details, but she believes it is particularly important to emphasize that not only the people of Bar, but the majority of citizens of Montenegro, do not have enough awareness of the problems caused by games of chance. These problems, she emphasizes, destroy health and families.
She doesn't think the problem is where the betting and gambling facilities are located, but how many there are and how accessible they are. Certainly, she added, it doesn't send a good message that the city center itself is left to "lures for addiction."
Another interviewee of "Vijesti" agrees with all of this and further emphasizes what she noticed in the example of her family: along with gambling in Bar, the so-called "usury business" is also flourishing, and there is an increasing number of people who illegally enable individuals to cultivate this lifestyle, while additionally endangering the lives of others.
"We have had several situations where loan sharks have come to our aid because of gambling debts in the family. Everyone knows these people, Bar is small, it's no secret what they do, just as it's no big secret how many people, especially men, are poisoned by gambling," she said.
The president of the Bar association "Roditeljska snaga", Sanja Smolović, told "Vijesti", is concerned about the presence of a large number of casinos and betting shops in the city center, often in the immediate vicinity of schools.
"Children and young people are exposed to this content on a daily basis, which poses a serious risk to their health and development," she said.
She stated that, precisely for this reason, they recently organized activities to prevent addiction in cooperation with the Municipality of Bar.
"Through discussions with experts, we emphasized prevention and education as key steps in protecting children. In doing so, we wanted to make our contribution and encourage broader social action," said Smolović.
The identity of a city is determined by its contents.
"The identity of a city is determined by its contents. That is why everyone should be concerned about the fact that urban areas are dominated by business premises where all forms of betting take place, and that during a simple walk through the city one can see numerous advertisements in public areas and billboards whose contents invite betting. Our environment best testifies to our habits and needs, while children and young people who grow up in such an environment subconsciously accept such imposed patterns of behavior."
This was told to "Vijesti" by Professor Neđeljko Đurović, who underwent training for professional and teaching staff on the adoption and preparation of gambling addiction prevention programs in high schools in Montenegro.
A particular aspect of this issue, he believes, relates to the popularization of online betting and the fact that it has grown at a rate of more than 25 percent in the past five years. Electronic gambling takes place using electronic communication devices such as phones, tablets and computers, he explains, and takes place through specialized websites, smartphone applications, social networks and video games whose content includes gambling.
"Given that gambling has become more accessible in this way, the exposure of minors to this harmful influence has increased significantly. Although the Gambling Authority clearly states that it is not permitted to advertise games of chance in a way that encourages the participation of minors in them, currently in our legislation and current practice we do not have appropriate solutions for situations in which mobile service users are harassed daily through paid advertisements that promote or enable some form of betting," believes Đurović.
Comparative experiences, according to him, indicate that clear legal provisions on the implementation of so-called "responsible gambling" and the ban on the promotion of games of chance by public figures, especially top athletes, represent some of the most significant measures that have yielded certain results.
Psychosomatic disorders and depression
Sporadic research among high school students clearly shows the problems that arise in young people due to gambling. In addition to neglecting their school and family obligations, and ceasing to engage in leisure activities, the surveyed students very easily notice irritability and lack of concentration, or lack of attention in communication, in their peers who gamble.
As the most significant problems that arise due to gambling among young people, Đurović recounts, high school students first point out coming into contact with suspicious persons and possible consequent blackmail, and only then family conflicts that arise due to gambling by minors.
"Gambling, as one of the risky forms of behavior among young people and a defined form of non-chemical addiction, causes psychosomatic disorders in the short term, while after a longer period it can cause depression and mental health problems," he pointed out.
The system and institutions are not doing enough, so more concrete measures and greater responsibility from everyone are needed, Đurović assessed, because children must not be left to their own devices in the face of such serious challenges.
Facilities where games of chance are organized must be at least 250 meters away from educational institutions, he notes, and over the past year, the media has pointed out that this requirement is not being met in several Montenegrin cities.
"In addition to this problem, there are also difficulties related to the possibility of increasing the intensity of inspection supervision in betting facilities near educational institutions, so official information from the Gaming Authority on what has been done on this issue would be very useful," he concluded.
Gambling revenues are increasing
Concession fees from games of chance and fees for organizing prize games are increasing year after year, and the previous year, 2024, was a record, according to data from the Report on the Work of the Gaming Authority for the past year.
The income on this basis in 2020 amounted to 11.908.959 euros, and in the following year, 2021, it was already 14.228.237 euros. Two million more income was generated on this basis in 2022, or 16.272.716 euros, while in 2023, this figure amounted to 22.352.550 euros.
Record revenue was achieved last year when 33.812.130 euros were generated from these fees.
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