The “Krokodili Dolaze” campaign (Crocodiles Are Coming Campaign), aimed at combating aggressive gambling and betting advertisements, began today with the premiere of a video featuring creators from across the region. The project supports those struggling with this form of addiction, sending the message that there is a way out. This is the first campaign of its kind and the first socially responsible project, bringing together musicians from all the former Yugoslav countries, following the YU Rock Mission of 1985, and involving voluntary and community participation.
The campaign features some of the biggest names in music from the former Yugoslavia, including Srđan Gojković Gile (Električni Orgazam), Zoran Kostić Cane (Partibrejkers), Atheist Rap, Vlatko Stefanovski, Zoran Predin, Gibonni, Rambo Amadeus, Darko Rundek, Mile Kekin, Dubioza Kolektiv, Kanda Kodža i Nebojša, Dejan Cukić, Letu Štuke, Milan Mumin, TBF, Detour, Zoster, Zoe Kida, Zoran Maddox, and Aleksandar Janić Jana.
The campaign aims to urge public figures and everyone involved in producing such messages not to use their influence to promote industries that create addiction. Indirectly, the message is addressed to everyone. The creator of the “Krokodili Dolaze” campaign is Aleksandar Janić Jana, a former DJ and musician who has been working for over 15 years on the prevention and treatment of addiction diseases in Novi Sad.
“Just a little over four years ago, the first father and mother came to seek help for their son, who had financially ruined his family due to gambling addiction. Later, emotionally as well. Such families started appearing more and more frequently. I noticed that the speed of a family falling apart due to a gambling addict is much faster than with other types of addiction. Then came all the sadder stories. I couldn’t stay silent. Earlier this year, betting shops presented forecasts of increased revenue for 2025, which couldn’t leave us indifferent,” said Aleksandar Janić Jana, adding that he chose Električni Orgazam’s song “Krokodili Dolaze” because it carries a warning in its lyrics and a level of seriousness in the music.
“I joined the project after a conversation with Jana, who told me about some of the cases of young people whose lives, and the lives of their families, were ruined. Even before that, it was hard for me to watch how quickly these betting shops are multiplying in the cities of Serbia. But let’s take it step by step; for now, we’re appealing to public figures not to participate in promoting casinos,” said Srđan Gojković Gile.
The realization of the idea started with the members of the Novi Sad band Atheist Rap. “I’ve known Jana since our teenage years, and we know his work and the reasons he became such a passionate fighter for addiction disease prevention. He presented us with facts about this form of addiction, and that’s how the idea for musical support for the project he started came about. We were willing to lay the foundation for it, and we connected him with artists from the region, whom we thought were important for spreading this story, which affects everyone around us. That number grew exponentially and covered all the countries of the former Yugoslavia. People began reaching out on their own, offering their participation and contribution to the action. We all hope that this appeal and raising awareness of this previously invisible problem will bear fruit,” said Vladimir Radusinović Radule, adding that the number of artists has even far exceeded the scope of a single song, so many couldn’t be included in the recording but still strongly support the project and participate in its promotion.
The youngest gambling addict treated at the Institute for Mental Health between 2019 and 2021 was only 12 years old, according to the “Danger on the Road from Home to School” study conducted in 2022 under the sponsorship of the Novi Sad City Health Administration.
The same study, which covered 22 primary schools in Novi Sad and betting shops near these schools, showed that at least five betting shops did not comply with the legally mandated distance from educational institutions (primary and secondary schools), which must be at least 200 meters.
According to last year’s research on young people and their gambling habits, part of the project “Youth and Betting,” of the 109 respondents who confirmed they had participated in games of chance, one-third said they had become addicted to gambling, and as many as 80% said they knew someone who was addicted to gambling. According to the same research, more than 80% of respondents believe young people are not adequately informed about the dangers of gambling addiction.
The new version of the song “Krokodili Dolaze” is available on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal…) and will also be available for use as an audio background on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
More information about the “Krokodili Dolaze” campaign can be found on the website: https://krokodilidolaze.com/
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