The games of chance sector in Montenegro poses a high-risk of misuse to launder illicit proceeds, according to the country’s national money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment. By applying risk-based approach, the authorities with anti-money laundering oversight of the sector and the operators of games of chance can develop effective mitigating measures that are aligned with the risks. For this reason, and since the second phase of the Action against Economic Crime in Montenegro, targeted support in this area has aimed to enhance the related measures and tools by focusing on development of a risk evaluation questionnaire as the first step. Additional support is also planned to the authorities by providing assistance along other stages of the supervision process.

To ensure a continuum of the process, a two-day workshop was organised, bringing together supervisors from the inspection, Games of Chance Administration and Financial Intelligence Unit, with the primary objective to guide authorities in assessing and weighting risks based on a sample of questionnaires received from obliged entities. 

The methodology presented in assigning and weighing risks for each question, will be applied to all other questionnaires received, ultimately contributing to the formulation of a supervision plan within the offsite control.

The workshop provided an opportunity to contextualise the risk profiling in the games of chance sector within a broader framework of supervision, and to further explain expectations in the subsequent stages of the supervision process, such as on-site supervision principles, and reporting and documentation once the full-scope examination has taken place. 

The activity was organised by the Action against economic crime in Montenegro, within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.