A guerrilla action was organized in Skopje by “HERA Youth” and the “Roll the Dice!” initiative to mark International Youth Day. Through the event, the organizers warned that gambling and betting are becoming increasingly widespread and normalized among young people.

Data concerning younger age groups are considered particularly alarming. The ESPAD 2024 national survey shows that, over the past 12 months, 25 percent of 15- to 16-year-old students in North Macedonia gambled for money. The figure stands at 34 percent among boys and 16 percent among girls.

An increase was also recorded in problem gambling among students who gamble. The rate rose from 4.5 percent in 2019 to 7.6 percent in 2024. According to the initiatives, these figures should serve as a serious warning to the authorities.

“HERA Youth” emphasized that young people have easy access to casinos, betting shops, online platforms and advertisements promising “quick profits.” This comes at a time when they are facing financial insecurity, unemployment, mental health difficulties and a desire to leave the country.

According to the initiatives, the consequences of gambling are not limited to finances but should also be addressed as a public and mental health issue. The World Health Organization links gambling-related harm to debt, the breakdown of family and social relationships, depression, anxiety and a higher risk of suicide.

The young people’s demands include tighter oversight of betting shops located near schools, restrictions on gambling advertising, especially online, genuine age verification and more effective measures to protect minors. They are also calling for financial education, addiction prevention and mental health to be included in education.

“We do not want our young people to bitterly refer to the country as the ‘Republic of Gambling Macedonia,’” representatives of “HERA Youth” and the “Roll the Dice!” initiative said. They added that, in society, it is sometimes easier to find a betting shop than a cultural center.

ESPAD is an international study that monitors risky behaviors among students aged 15–16. More than 113,000 students from 37 European countries participated in the 2024 survey.

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At its 109th session held today, the Parliament of North Macedonia voted through the new Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games, decided to extend the state of emergency in part of the country’s territory, and appointed Hristina Sofronijoska to the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Legislative Chamber.

The draft law on games of chance received the support of 60 MPs, while 20 voted against it.

According to Deputy Finance Minister Nikolçe Jankulovski, the new provisions stipulate that premises where games of chance are organized must be located at least 500 meters away from primary and secondary schools, with the distance to be calculated along the safest pedestrian route.

He also stressed that the legal changes impose strict restrictions on the advertising of casinos and betting shops. Illuminated advertisements will be banned, while only one sign bearing the organizer’s name will be allowed, with maximum dimensions of 100 by 30 centimeters and no promotional content.

The law also provides for the mandatory GPS connection of devices and casinos to the Public Revenue Office, with the aim of strengthening oversight, digitalizing the sector, and making it easier to identify operators working without a license. These measures are also in line with Moneyval recommendations on preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Jankulovski said that if shortcomings are identified during implementation, the Finance Ministry will come forward with further proposals for additional amendments.

At the same session, MPs also established the need to adopt under a shortened procedure amendments to the Law on the Testing and Marking of Firearms and Ammunition, as well as to the Law on Public Enterprises and State-Owned Commercial Companies, within the framework of laws related to the Reform Agenda.

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