Gambling Games in Kosovo
Since there is no legal gambling in Kosovo, local players who gamble do so on foreign websites. Classic Amatic and Greentube slots, familiar from the former slot halls of the region, remain the favourites. Below is the list of the most used slots among the people of Kosovo: Billyonaire, Lucky Joker 10 Extra Gifts, Cool Diamonds II, Book of Ra Deluxe, Lucky Double, Lucky Joker 5 and Hot Scatter. Billyonaire, Cool Diamonds II, Hot Scatter and the Lucky Joker series are fruit and joker slots by the Austrian developer Amatic. Book of Ra Deluxe is a five-reel slot by Greentube that comes with 10 paylines. The slot features a risk game and a round of free spins. Other Greentube classics such as Dolphin's Pearl and Sizzling Hot 6 Extra Gold are also played often, as is Divine Fortune. Divine Fortune is a slot by NetEnt that comes with 5 reels and 20 paylines. You have a chance to win a round of free spins and some re-spins. The bonus game will earn you a big reward with the multiplier of up to x200.
Gambling Legislation
Gaming legislation was introduced in Kosovo quite recently. For example, the main law was passed in 2012, and the gaming regulator was formed in 2000. The efficiency of the legislation was questionable: the country had a large illegal market, while online gambling was banned. In 2019 the Assembly replaced the licensing regime with a complete ban on all games of chance (Law No. 06/L-155), which is still in force in 2026.
Regulators
Tax Administration Kosovo (TAK) was the regulator of the gambling industry in this country until the 2019 ban. The Administration was set up in 2000. Its objectives are to collect taxes and monitor compliance with the law. Under the 2012 law, the Administration also oversaw the gambling industry in Kosovo, and organising and conducting of gambling in the country was regulated by TAK. Persons under the age of 18 were not allowed to play - whether by themselves or through third parties. Sharing the winnings with them, which were earned through gambling, was also prohibited.
Online games in Kosovo are banned. But this small country has no resources to make one comply with this law. People of Kosovo are playing on any international websites. Since 2019 the ban covers land-based and online gambling alike, and no law regulating online gambling has been adopted. Enforcement focuses on illegal venues. In April 2026, for example, police raids at about 50 locations in Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Istog and Skenderaj ended with 34 arrests for organising illegal games of chance.
Gambling Licenses
The licensing rules below applied under Law No. 04/L-080 until it was repealed in 2019. Since then no gambling licences can be issued in Kosovo. TAK issued the following types of licenses:
- To run casinos - for 3 years with a possible extension
- To produce and supply slot machines - for 2 years with extension
- To run slot machines - for 2 years also
- To provide retail sites for slot machines - for 2 years
- To set up sports betting points of sale - 2 years
- To organise bingo tombola - 2 years
The casino license cannot be transferred to third parties. The license is issued to physical persons or companies engaged in any type of casino business. The license for production and distribution is issued to ones who import, produce and distribute slot machines in the territory of Kosovo. A permit to run slot machines is issued to those who place and run slot machines on special sites. The slots must only be acquired from licensed manufacturers or distributors. The retail license only authorises the provision of slot machines, and no other games. The license holder must maintain the exclusive right of ownership on the site for slot machines. The number of slot machines must be at least 10. Each slot machine must have its own inventory number. The license for sports betting only authorises the services associated with betting on sporting events. The bingo tombola license — likewise. A physical person or a legal entity can obtain several licenses for one gambling site.
Licencing requirements
The 2012 Kosovo law prescribed the following conditions for the operators:
- The operator must have a clear criminal record in Kosovo or any other country
- The operator is not engaged in any illicit activities during the gambling operations
- The operator does not pose any threat to the interests of the Republic of Kosovo
- The operator has experience in operating a gambling business or business as a whole
- The operator funds the business from legal sources
The license cannot be obtained by law enforcement officers, judges or government officials. The application for a license must contain proof of the operator's reliability: the operator must have safety capital and initial capital procured from legal sources. The operator must also present the business plan, information about the gaming site, its structure, internal structure of the casino and the rules for all games being featured. The casino must be located in a separate building or in a hotel that has at least 4 stars. The size of the premises must be at least 500 square meters, including the hotel and other facilities. The operator must be the owner or co-owner of the premises, or sign a rental contract for the premises for offering gambling entertainment exclusively. The casino must have at least three gaming tables, a cash register and an exchange office. Video surveillance must be provided as well. The casino must be located more than 1.5 kilometres away from educational and religious institutions, historical sites and municipal buildings.
Licensed varieties of gambling
These are the types of gambling that were allowed in Kosovo until 2019: Lotteries, Casinos, Sports betting, Slot machines and Bingo tombola. The 2012 law prohibited a whole list of games such as: Electronic games, Online games, Horse racing and Games based on the geometric progression principle. Entertainment of calculator-type games, simulator-type games or games on other digital devices, as well as games that are played with tokens (where players do not get any monetary rewards) are not considered as gambling. Nor do promotions or advertising (such as promo lotteries) with rewards fall under the definition of gambling. Values of prizes must not exceed 1,000 monetary units.
Lottery in Kosovo
Under the 2012 law, lottery in Kosovo was a state monopoly and all lottery games were run by Lottery of Kosovo. The 2019 ban applies to all games of chance, so the rules below are also historical. The Board of Directors of this organisation consists of 5 members. Their tenure in office is 2 years. High-ranking government officials, top activists of political parties or relatives of top managers of Lottery of Kosovo cannot be members of the Board. The Board of Directors performs the following functions: analyses and endorses the annual plan, analyses the reports for the previous year, gets involved in the process of issuing tickets, approves the rules of the games, presents the gaming initiatives to the Ministry of Finance and lottery of Kosovo is a subordinate of the Ministry of Finance and can organise games in cooperation with operators from other countries.
Slot machines
Slot machines must be certified and obtained from licensed suppliers. A certificate is issued only if the slot complies with all requirements stated by law. Certification is conducted by an independent laboratory. The certificate remains valid for 2 years. The operator must place the rules of the game where players can see them. The rules are approved by TAK and must include the following items: information about the operator, information and instructions for the game, methods by which winnings in each game are calculated and information about winning tickets or any other similar instrument, as well as about the payout period and procedure.
Casinos
Under the 2012 law, a casino was defined as a site for conducting table games and other games played by using balls, dice or cards. The games include: roulette, boules, chemin de fer, blackjack and other games. The initial capital of the casino operator must be at least 2,000,000 EUR. The insurance must be of the same amount. The insurance is required to ensure that all winnings will be paid to the players.
Development of the Gambling Market in Kosovo
So far the situation in Kosovo remains tense, including the issues with the gambling industry. Before the ban, TAK was constantly shutting down illegal sites and reporting about it on its website. For example, in January 2017 22 facilities were shut down. In 2019 the authorities did change the gaming legislation, but in the direction of a total ban rather than a modern licensing system. All betting shops, casinos and slot halls had to close. The gambling that remains in Kosovo is completely illegal, and the police continue to raid illegal betting and gambling venues. Online gambling is still outlawed, and there are no licensed establishments for poker or any other game. So, in order for the country to start raking in tax revenue from gambling again, the state would have to adopt new legislation.
