Gaming licences will be issued based on a public call for applications for up to five years, rather than at the request of a provider for up to ten years, according to a motion replacing the 1995 act.

One of the reasons the ministry cited for legislative changes that follow the 2010 strategy is that betting services are conditional on the provider's seat in Slovenia, which runs contrary to EU Treaty.

The new bill no longer distinguishes between classic and special games of chance, but regulates lottery, betting and gambling separately. Loterija Slovenije will remain sole provider of lottery services.

Companies already licensed would be able to continue to provide services until their licence expires, whereupon they would be able to initiate a new public call.

A single licence would be issued for betting and up to 30 licences for gaming, based on a public call for up to five years, after which the call may be repeated.

A new licence is being introduced for gaming and entertainment centre, entailing additional terms for the licensee and its shareholders, as well as a lower fee for gaming machines.

Tourist regions in which local communities are eligible for part of the licence fee would be transformed into gaming areas comprising the local community where the gaming facility is based and neighbouring local communities.

A part of the licence or concession fee would be allocated to charities involved in educating the public on responsible gambling, prevention or treatment of addiction to gambling.

Online betting providers would have to provide access to the betting website from a list set up by an oversight body, while payment institutions would be banned from providing financial transactions related in any way to illegal betting services.

Persons below the age of 18 years would be banned form engaging in all games of chance or their organisation.

Slovenia's biggest gaming company, Hit, is unhappy with the proposal because it "complicates concession policy with public calls every five years", while failing to change the tax policy.

Under this proposal, taxation of gaming remains the highest in the region compared with Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary, the company said in a press release.