How the Church in Serbia Helps Address Gambling Addiction

In Serbia, the problem of gambling is considered serious, particularly among the youth, yet there has been no comprehensive study on those affected by addiction since 2014. At that time, the Institute of Public Health reported that between 51,000 and 93,000 people engaged in problematic or pathological betting, with 14,000 to 33,000 falling into the most severe, pathological category. More recent estimates come from experts but lack supporting national statistics. In June 2026, Serbian national radio summarized current estimates, indicating that over 90,000 people suffer from a serious problem affecting both their personal health and their families. The issue is even more acute among minors; nearly one in five 15- to 16-year-olds has gambled for money, despite gambling being prohibited for those under age.

The Church in Serbia has also responded to the problem of gambling addiction; however, unlike in Romania and Georgia, it has not exerted public pressure to change legislation in order to protect those most vulnerable to addiction. Instead, the focus is placed on treatment, pastoral care, and the rehabilitation of those suffering from addiction.

The most significant initiative is the “Zemlja živih” (“Land of the Living”) psychosocial rehabilitation center, established under the auspices of the Eparchy of Bačka. It was founded back in 2005 under the patronage of the Kovilj Monastery and with the blessing of Bishop Irinej of Bačka. The project’s founder and leader is the current Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, who was directly associated with the Kovilj Monastery at the time of its inception. Today, the program operates four therapeutic communities—Čenej, Vilovo, Slankamenački Vinogradi, and Brajkovac—with a total capacity of approximately 100 places. Participation is voluntary and free of charge, and the stay can last up to three years. The method combines psychotherapy, work, community living, spiritual care, and social reintegration. The center maintains official cooperation protocols with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior, the government’s anti-drug agency, and the Serbian Medical Society. Gambling is also explicitly included within the scope of treatment. As early as 2017, the Serbian public broadcaster RTS described “Zemlja živih” as a program addressing both substance addictions and behavioral addictions, such as gambling and internet use.

The clinic’s activities are regularly covered in the media. For instance, in February 2026, RTS featured a 43-year-old pathological gambler who had been undergoing treatment at “Zemlja živih” for 26 months following more than two decades of gambling addiction. The broadcaster described the center as the only institution of its kind operating under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Since 2022, an effort has been underway to establish a broader church-state system; in March 2022, with the blessing of Patriarch Porfirije, Bishop Justin—who coordinates the charitable and missionary work of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovci—met with the director of the government’s Office for Combating Drugs. The Serbian Orthodox Church officially announced that the goal was collaborative work in three areas: prevention, therapy, and the social reintegration of addicted individuals. A special team has been established within the Church’s Religious Charitable Guardianship to work—through counseling and therapy—with both addicts and their families. While gambling is not the sole focus of this structure, it is one of the issues addressed.

The Orthodox Pastoral-Counseling Center of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovci operates in Belgrade, where clergy work alongside psychologists, psychiatrists, and other specialists. According to the director, Archpriest Petar Lukić, approximately 30,000 people had passed through the center by 2023; he explicitly identifies addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and the internet as increasingly common problems. Thus, in addition to the long-term “Zemlja Živih” (Land of the Living) rehabilitation communities, the Serbian Church has also developed an outpatient model to support victims and their families.

In various cities, Orthodox youth groups organize public meetings on this topic in secondary schools. For instance, in November 2023, with the blessing of Bishop Atanasije of Mileševa, the church community in Priboj and the local Orthodox Youth Brotherhood organized a public meeting at the town’s high school titled “Gambling – a game, a pastime, or something more?” The speakers included a psychiatrist, a recovering gambling addict, and a clergyman. At the time, the organizers from the youth group remarked: “The topic of gambling is something about which there is a deafening silence in our society.”

The Serbian Patriarchate has not yet participated in any legislative program developed jointly with the state.