Although the Ministry of Finance continuously publicly states that the laws apply equally to all organizers, practice shows the opposite. Legal solutions are, by all accounts, created according to the instructions of narrow, privileged interest groups, while regular organizers are exposed to pressure, sanctions and administrative barriers. In parallel, the illegal market for games of chance is recording worrying growth.
It is particularly controversial that all organizers were forced to implement new tax obligations in an extremely short period of time – practically overnight – without any bylaw, rulebook or technical instructions. At the same time, some privileged organizers, apparently informed in advance, managed to adapt their software solutions on the same day and display the tax calculation on winnings on payment tickets, although the rulebook has not been adopted to this day.
Additionally, it is worrying that some of these same organizers have not been connected to the state system of control and data exchange with the Gambling Authority even after more than a year, even though this is their legal obligation. There has been no reaction from the competent institutions in these cases.
The constitutional initiative specifically points to a gross violation of the principles of equality and legal certainty, as the amendments to the Personal Income Tax Act effectively introduce different tax treatment within the same industry. Winnings from slot machines, roulettes and casinos remain untaxed, while all other winnings from betting are taxed at high rates. This effectively excludes the core business of certain groups from the tax system.
This model represents a direct distortion of market competition, favors regional broker groups with long-standing problematic business practices, and causes serious damage to the public interest and the state budget. Instead of suppressing the gray zone, institutional decisions further strengthen it.
MNEBet will inform all competent institutions in Montenegro, as well as relevant international and European institutions, including those responsible for competition protection, the rule of law and financial regulation, of all observed illegalities and questionable practices.
All illegal actions will have their own legal consequences – at home and abroad.
(MontenegroBet Association)
