The countries current sports betting market consists of a monopoly by Športna Loterija, who are the only company legally allowed to operate sports betting services and Loterija Slovenije, the national lottery operator.

This latest vote contradicts an earlier decision by the National Assembly, which had voted 35-26 in favour of opening up the countries online gaming market in order to help better regulate it.

The failure of the bill to gain the National council’s approval forces the Assembly to vote again on a potentially amended bill that would now require a two-thirds majority to suceed.

Proposals  to open up Slovenia’s market are predominantly driven by the notion that a vast majority of online gambling activity in the country is currently done so through unregulated sites as residents look to use varying sportsbook other than Športna Loterija.

The vetoed bill was first introduced in January 2017 by Branko Zorman, a Slovenian MP who supported claims that 85% of the current revenue generated from sports betting in the country was going to companies outside of the small European nation.

In proposing the bill,  Zorman argued that the country could stand to gain large amounts of revenue from allowing additional sports betting companies to operate in the country; the introduction of regulations would establish €500k annual licensing fees and a share of their revenues.