Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The Group of Games of Chance Organizers at the Chamber of Commerce (PKCG) has expressed serious concern over what they describe as systemic and fundamental shortcomings in the Bill on Games of Chance, which is expected to be adopted in the coming days.

According to a press release from the Group, the Bill proposes a significant change in the way rights to organize games of chance, which are legally recognized as activities of public interest, are granted.

“Instead of the existing concession model, which has successfully functioned for many years, even decades, and which represented a legally binding relationship between the state and operators, the legislative proposal takes a step backward by introducing a licensing model as a unilateral administrative act of the Ministry of Finance,” the Group stated.

They warned that such a provision seriously undermined the transparency and legal certainty of the process, as it affected the public aspect of granting rights to organize gambling activities, removing it from the framework of public tender and competition and subjecting it to the administrative discretion of a public authority.

The concession model, through contracts with clearly defined rights and obligations, allowed long-term stability and predictability of operations, ensuring investment security and continuity in the sector’s development.

In contrast, the licensing model leaves operators in a very unfavourable position, exposed to arbitrary decisions by the public authority, since the Government retains the right to revoke, change, or withdraw the licence without prior agreement or contractual protection.

This eliminates any guarantee of business continuity and undermines the basic investment logic in the sector.