Six months after the Memorandum was signed in Belgrade, the Balkan Gaming Federation (BGF) now has its first leadership structure in place, marking the start of its first joint initiatives.
Dragan Skrbić, President of the Serbian association AGOS, was elected the first President of the Balkan Gaming Federation. He will be joined by two Vice Presidents: Filip Jelavić, Secretary General of Croatia’s HUPIS, and Sorin Georgescu, President of Romania’s ROMSLOT and Vice President of FEDBET.
The creation of BGF began in March 2026 in Belgrade, when national associations from Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
The process was launched jointly with the involvement of AGOS from Serbia and AOGGAB from Bulgaria, while the seven associations spent the following months shaping the governance model and common positions of the future organisation. Croatia was selected as the legal seat of BGF, while a working group led by Filip Jelavić prepared the Statute and the institutional framework.
BGF and EUROMAT Deepen Cooperation
The election of the new leadership was part of a two-day programme in Bucharest that also placed strong emphasis on relations between BGF and EUROMAT. On 29 September, representatives of the Federation’s member associations held a working dinner with the EUROMAT Board. The following day, Jason Frost, President of EUROMAT, attended the election of the BGF leadership, while subsequent discussions focused on opportunities for closer cooperation between the two organisations.
The connection with EUROMAT has been part of the BGF concept from the outset. The objective is for the Balkan associations to have their own regional structure and a stronger collective voice, while remaining connected to representation at European level and preserving the Federation’s own governance, identity and autonomy.
The discussions in Bucharest developed this concept further, with BGF aiming to establish itself as a regional Balkan cluster within the broader EUROMAT framework. This would allow the Federation to consolidate the challenges, expertise and positions of Balkan markets and connect them more directly with the European policy debate, while giving EUROMAT a more structured link to a region that includes both EU Member States and Western Balkan markets.
This cooperation already has a solid institutional basis. Four of BGF’s seven member associations, AOGGAB, AGOS, ROMSLOT and HUPIS, are also members of EUROMAT, while the region has direct representation within the European organisation through Karoly Buzás of ROMSLOT and Filip Jelavić of HUPIS.
Bucharest Also Highlighted Support for Romania’s Legal Gaming Sector
Romania’s licensed gaming sector is undergoing substantial regulatory change, and the presence of BGF member associations, along with EUROMAT leadership, in the Romanian capital sent a clear signal of support for ROMSLOT and the country’s legal gaming industry.
Regional solidarity is already becoming a regular part of the Federation’s work. During its first months, BGF issued joint positions on regulatory developments in Romania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, reflecting one of the central ideas behind the organisation: national regulatory challenges should not remain isolated within individual markets when their consequences may have wider relevance for the region.
From Joint Positions to the First Initiatives
Following the election, attention is now shifting towards concrete initiatives. On 24 November 2026 in Sofia, the new leadership will take part in the Gaming Industry Gala Dinner – New Horizons, where it is expected to present BGF’s main directions and plans for 2027 to a wider industry audience. This will be the first joint public appearance of the Federation’s new leadership before the international gaming industry, together with representatives of the member associations.
On 25 November 2026, a separate working roundtable was planned with representatives of leading companies and experts from across the Balkan gaming industry, marking the beginning of an annual BGF initiative. The format is intended to bring together key figures from across the region around shared business interests, communication, joint initiatives, the industry’s main challenges, regulation, and the protection of the legal gaming sector.
In parallel, work is beginning on a larger regional B2B forum for BGF, designed to build on this line of cooperation and include an exhibition component. The format is planned to rotate between Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.
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