Business
Audit of North Macedonia's State Lottery: unpaid contributions, 15-year contracts and unlicensed games
The State Audit Office issued a negative opinion on five online gaming companies in which the Lottery owns 51%.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 11:00 · Updated 12:21 · 2 min read
In brief
- All five companies received a negative opinion on their 2024 financial statements and on compliance with the law.
- Of 2.17 million euros in planned contributions, VEZUV had paid only about 146,000 euros.
- Software suppliers were selected without applying the procurement law, often with a single bid and contracts of up to 15 years.
The State Audit Office in North Macedonia has found financial and legal irregularities in five companies that organize online and electronic games of chance, in which the State Lottery owns 51% of the shares. For all five, the auditor issued a negative opinion on both the 2024 financial statements and compliance with the law.
The companies, founded in 2023 and 2024, were supposed to receive cash contributions of 2,171,470 euros, paid in three installments over three years. The founding agreements provided for a smaller amount, 771,470 euros, payable within one year, and the auditor received no reliable evidence for the difference. At MOZZART and VEZUV, the unpaid portion had not been recorded in the trade register, while at VEZUV only about 9 million denars, roughly 146,000 euros, had been paid.
Procurement outside the law and long-term contracts
Suppliers of software, gaming platforms and technical services were selected through public calls and internal rules, without applying the Law on Public Procurement. Most procedures drew only one bid, and some contracts were signed for 15 years. The auditor also found marketing expenses without full documentation and leases with related parties without the approval of the shareholders' assembly.
The report says KASINOS AUSTRIA continued to offer online games until October 2024, even though its two-year contract had expired on Dec. 31, 2016. The auditor found no document showing that a license had been issued for these games. In September 2024 the government began proceedings to shut down MOZZART, 77 BITS and VEZUV, while court cases in Skopje are still ongoing.
The audit also identified regulatory gaps: the relevant ministry did not adopt the secondary legislation within the legal deadline, and there is no information system for monitoring payments and winnings from these games. Although the blocking of 307 gambling websites and apps had been requested by January 2026, unlicensed sites remained accessible from within the country.
