9th July 2026, Skopje - Mandatory license for giveaway hosting, a fee therefor, public disclosure of the rules and results, as well as clearly defined deadlines and conditions for the organization thereof, are among the changes introduced by the new Law on Games of Chance and Entertainment Games, which will enter into force on 14th July. The objective of the new Law is to introduce, for the first time, a regulated giveaway framework, while defining clear rules, obligations and conditions for organizers, and ensuring greater transparency and legal certainty for the participants.
Pursuant to the new Law, giveaway organization will require a mandatory license, which will be issued upon submitting a request to the Ministry of Finance no later than 30 days before the date set for its launch.
Where the organizer of the giveaway is a sole proprietor, the request for license issuance should be accompanied by giveaway rules, evidence of the origin of awards, a registration document issued by the Central Registry, information on the applicant’s economic and financial standing based on the latest annual account, in case business activity was conducted, evidence of paid request fee in the amount of EUR 100 in Denar equivalent, as well as evidence of settled public duties on the basis of taxes, customs duties and contributions.
Where the organizer is a company, in addition to the documentation required for a sole proprietor, the request should be accompanied by a registration document issued by the Central Registry, as well as certificates from the Penal Registry for Criminal Acts Committed by Legal Entities that no supplementary penalty - prohibition for obtaining or revoking license for organizing games of chance is pronounced nor any temporary or permanent prohibition for organizing games of chance.
Where the request is submitted by one company on behalf of and for the account of another, the documentation required for the latter must also be provided.
The Law also introduces an obligation for the organizer to pay a fee for organizing the giveaway, accounting for 18% of the total value of the awards fund. The fee shall be paid prior to the start of the giveaway, within three days of receipt of the license, and if the fee is not paid within the legally prescribed deadline, the license will be revoked.
The new Law also provides for mandatory public disclosure of the giveaway rules before its launch, as well as the publication of the results, i.e. the winners, no later than three days from the date of drawing or determining the winnings. Cash and non-cash awards must be paid or picked up within the deadline specified in the giveaway rules, which may not exceed 60 days from the date of publication of the results.
The Law also sets out in details the contents of the giveaway rules. They must contain mandatory information on the organizer, the products or services being advertised, the conditions for participation, the duration of the giveaway, the manner of drawing and determining the winners, the value of the awards and the total awards fund, the manner of their awarding, the procedure for raising objections, as well as the prohibition for participation for the employees at the organizer, as well as the members of their close families.
The duration of a giveaway may not exceed one year.
For the first time, the new Law introduces a legal giveaway definition. A giveaway is a game of chance, wherein, the share for participation consists of activities such as liking, tagging, sharing or posting contents, and which is organized by a company or a sole proprietor for the purpose of advertising products or services, through traditional or electronic means, via Internet, mobile devices or other platforms.
The Law also defines the terms “liking” and “tagging” as a share for participation in these games of chance. Liking refers to showing interest in or a positive reaction to specific contents, while tagging refers to identifying a person, photo or video, where such activity is a condition for participation in the giveaway.
Introduction of these rules provides for creating a unified legal framework for organizing giveaway activities, setting out clearly defined obligations for organizers, and ensuring greater transparency, legal certainty and protection of participants when organizing this type of game of chance.
