New Winnings Tax Introduced for Croatian Bettors

The Croatian government have announced a new winnings tax for players of the state lottery and sports betting fans in the country. The change will see the lower limit for taxation start at 1,500 Kuna, down from 30,000.

This change to Croatian gambling laws is pretty drastic, and the fear is that it could drive a number of bettors underground. With 1,500 Kuna equaling around EUR 200, most bettors won’t be affected. Big lottery winners, on the other hand, could see their winnings decimated.

The Taxman is Worth 10% of Your Bet

So, from this year on, Croatian gamblers will have to fork out 10% of their winnings above 1,500 Kuna. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been playing, whether at a small lottery shop in a village or at a mobile betting site.

With online gambling having been legal since 2010, the industry has done reasonably well in the European nation. With their EU membership up for discussion, the country will be looking to ensure the economy is in a good place, however, hence the sudden tax rise.

With most gambling properties – both online and off – controlled by state run bodies, however, some are accusing the government of being a bit too greedy with their customers (and citizens, for that matter) cash. Considering most of gambling’s profits already go to the state, this extra tax is just one more thing that the public has to pay.