Nikola Djordjević · Portfolio

It seems these days everyone is talking up Bitcoin. Is this good for Bitcoin, is this bad for Bitcoin? How to get it, where to spend it and more.

If you haven’t really been keeping up, it can all seem maddening. And that isn’t helped by the fact that the underpinnings of this currency are very technical and scientific.

But there’s nothing to worry about, once you read this guide you’ll be a true pro and you’ll know why using Bitcoin for withdrawals at online casinos is the best option to get some Bitcoin your way and fill up that wallet.

What is Bitcoin?

But of course, one step at a time. Let’s see what this newfangled way to pay online really is. Bitcoin is what is called a cryptocurrency and that means it’s built on the science called cryptography. Cryptography is the study of codes and different ways to encode and decode them. Currencies like Bitcoin use cryptographic methods to generate the coins themselves and also to process and verify transactions.

This process is called mining… and that’s how Bitcoin is made. Of course, it doesn’t involve any real shovels or pickaxes. Anytime there is a transaction, miners duke it out to be the first to process it. Whoever manages to do it, gets a commission, and the others get nothing.

Advantages of Bitcoin

There used to be a time when people and businesses didn’t trust in cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin was thought to be something for hackers and shady traders on the dark web. But all that has changed, many reputable places accept this currency and in the gaming world, there are more and more casinos which are happy to take Bitcoins.

The cryptocurrency’s main rival is called “fiat money”. This is the money we use every day, and it’s controlled by states and central banks. Unlike them, Bitcoin is:

• Decentralized, meaning there is no central power over it that can dictate terms and conditions.
• Anonymous, as nothing links your real identity with the money you possess.
• Very safe, as it is practically impossible to counterfeit.

Start Your Bitcoin Journey the Easy and Fun Way

We’ve all been there, many spins deep in our favorite slot game when finally – the words big win come flashing on our screens. What to do? Gamble it all straight away or choose a more prudent tack and withdraw it? We won’t judge you either way, but if you choose to withdraw your winnings you should know there’s a great way to do it that also lets you take your first steps in the exciting world of Bitcoin.

There are some pretty great advantages to doing this, both in terms of getting your winnings out and starting your bitcoin wallet. When using Bitcoin to withdraw your balance from a casino, you can expect:

• Fast transaction times.
• Almost no fees.
• Nearly anonymous transactions.

Because there are no middlemen in between you and the casino, the payment can be processed very fast. Sometimes even within 30 minutes! Even if you don’t get your money that fast, it will almost never take more than a day.

Unlike banking or e-wallet fees, which can often be exorbitant the fees associated with Bitcoin casino transactions are either very small or completely non-existent.

With standard card or bank account transactions, you need to leave a lot of info about yourself, including your name and your address. With cryptocurrencies, the only thing casinos need is your wallet address.

But those are not all the advantages… because withdrawing money from a casino is also a good way to fund your first Bitcoin wallet. Here’s why:

• You get to avoid complicated exchanges.
• You don’t need to use your credit card.
• You get your first Bitcoins with more privacy.

The standard way to get Bitcoin is to exchange fiat money at an online exchange. But this requires that you select one out of many, then learn the ins and outs of how to use them and finally use your credit card or your bank account to purchase the currency.

Then of course, there’s the issue of transaction processing times since there is a bank involved in the process.

All this means that the bitcoin purchase will take a long time and would appear on your bank statements. But if you just withdraw your winnings from the casino, your wallet gets funded with Bitcoin very fast without anyone knowing – a great thing for those who value privacy.

What is a Bitcoin Wallet and How to Choose One?

We’ve used the term “wallet” a lot in this article, so let’s dive in an explain what it is exactly. Simply put, a wallet is what holds your Bitcoin balance and is also used to receive payments from other people.

There are different types and different ways to classify them but the most important ones are:

• Hardware or software.
• Hot or cold.

When it comes to hardware or software wallets, the thing to keep in mind is that hardware wallets are more secure but software wallets offer more flexibility.

Also, with hardware wallets, there is the matter of an upfront cost of such devices while software wallets are mostly free apps or are offered as part of Bitcoin exchanges.

However, due to the possibility of hacking it’s generally not a good idea to keep a balance for a long time in a software wallet.

And this leads us into the hold and cold dichotomy. Hot wallets are those that are always connected to the internet, and cold ones are not. A cold wallet is more secure, but hot wallets are always connected to the internet which makes them a bit friendlier to use. The point is to choose a wallet that fits what you want to do with it, and that represents your desired balance of safety and convenience.

Withdrawing Your Casino Balance to Your New Wallet

Now that you have a wallet… it’s time to fill it up. Taking into account that your balance is at a casino that allows withdrawals in Bitcoin, simply navigate yourself over to the “Cashier” section or its equivalent and begin the withdrawal process by selecting the Bitcoin option.

And that’s basically it. In as a little as half an hour, you’ll get your first coins. What to do with them? Anything you can imagine. Shop online, gamble, keep it in the hopes that the exchange rate will go up. It’s all up to you.

Belgrade is a city famed for its nightlife and laissez-faire approach to partying. Now, the Serbian capital is also a home to a nascent but thriving drag scene.

It’s hard to avoid drag queens in the media these days. Bolstered by the breakout TV hit Ru Paul’s Drag Race, drag culture has exploded into the mainstream. Even relatively conservative publications have recently been “throwing shade” and “spilling the tea”.

As an art form, drag is about transformation and liberation. Performers, usually but not always gay men, dress up in a hyper-real representation of femininity. High heels, large cleavage, even larger hair. While intended as entertainment, drag has always been political and regularly controversial. An oft-repeated story tells us that at the Stonewall riots, it was a drag queen who cast the first brick.

The trajectory of drag on the global stage is similar to that which the LGBT community had to go through in Serbia. From invisibility and obscurity, to antagonism, and then finally tolerance. Or at least a semblance of it.

LGBT people in Serbia still remember the chaos and bloodshed visited upon the brave few who decided to hold a Pride Parade in 2001. The proceedings quickly erupted in violence as participants were viciously battered by hooligans and members of extreme right wing organisations.

Nine years later, nearly 1,000 marchers had to be protected by a cordon of police in heavy riot gear. That day saw brutality and destruction as counter-protesters, led again by hooligan gangs and the extreme right, set fires, robbed stores, demolished cars, and clashed with the police. Around 200 people were injured. And according to estimates published by the media at the time, the material damage was in excess of one million euros.

It’s a far cry from the latest pride, held last September in the Serbian capital. While there were still some protests, this year’s event saw no significant incidents.

It is in this atmosphere of begrudging tolerance that a drag scene has begun to emerge. Over the last few years, performers such as Dekadenca, Markiza de Sada, Sonja Sajzor, and Dita Von Bill have built up a loyal audience performing in Belgrade’s clubs.

Now there are regular drag parties, at clubs such as KC Grad, which feature a growing number of new queens. Their performances run the gamut from the classic lip sync to the more avant-garde and political.

“For me, in the beginning, drag was just a way to exist on the Belgrade queer scene,” Dita Von Bill tells Emerging Europe. “The first time I got up on that stage, I knew I was breathing in floodlights instead of air. Meanwhile, it became great fun to think up concepts for the shows and meet new queens and collaborators. This fun and hard work led to people getting to know my drag persona. I realised then that I’ve created a platform for addressing my followers so I added a political and social note to messages in my performances.”

During our conversation Dita emphasises the strength and inspiration that can come from adversity and the positive aspects of the drag scene. But she confesses she is aware some parts of her performances can be seen as provocative.

“Everyone has their way of fighting, I do it in my own way and I’m aware that way I relate certain messages is controversial.”

In 2018, she performed at pride in Belgrade while dressed in traditional female Serbian garb. The reactions came fast and hard. Many on Twitter and other social media voiced their disapproval in no uncertain terms. The situation escalated further with Dita receiving death threats. Some organisations even lodged official complaints with the police in an attempt to get her charged with a crime.

They did not succeed.

“The death threats did not scare me. A real death sounds less horrifying than a fake life,” she says.

The situation Dita Von Bill found herself in is emblematic of the state of LGBT rights in Serbia. On the one hand, there is a growing liberalisation of attitudes toward homosexuality and gender expression. The prime minister, Ana Brnabić, is openly gay. On the other, conservative and right wing forces do still hold a lot of sway in society and are able to intimidate and cause harm. This is one of the reasons we cannot reveal Dita’s real identity in this piece, at her request.

But Dita is largely optimistic.

“The drag scene in Serbia is in full expansion now. Negative aspects are nearly non-existent. We believe we are yet to show just how talented and skilled all our queens are,” she concludes.

Walking the centres of Serbia’s towns and cities, a visitor could be excused for thinking that Serbian is written only in the Latin script. Billboards and commercial signage are nearly all in Latin, with only a few stragglers using the Cyrillic script.

It might seem to some that the fate of Cyrillic is sealed and that Latin is about to takeover once and for all. Certainly, its status in Serbia has long been the subject of much debate and not a little controversy. Many academics, such as the notable linguist Dr Ivan Klajn have warned the script might be in danger of eventually becoming archaic and disused.

But Cyrillic is stubbornly refusing to give way, and is still used widely, at least in official government and municipality documents where it is was made mandatory by a 2005 law. It’s important to note, however, that this law does not declare Cyrillic as the official script of Serbia; it only relates to documents and materials produced by the government.

“We probably won’t see a revival of Cyrillic in the public sphere, at least not to the extent that would satisfy the proponents of unconditional use of this Serbian script,” says Dr Dalibor Sokolović, the head of the Slavic Studies department at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade.

“However, there is definitely an increased interest among the public for matters relating to Serbian language and script.”

Cyrillic has been used in Serbia since the Middle Ages, and derives from an older form – the Glagolitic script. For a long time however any form of literacy in Serbia was reserved solely for the clergy and the nobility, and it is doubtful that the common people in those times would have considered any script to be part of their culture.

However, as Dr Sokolović points out, over time Cyrillic has become an integral part of Serbian history and identity.

“The Serbian script – Serbian Cyrillic – needs to be nurtured like all other heritage of Serbian culture. In our community, Cyrillic has a nearly thousand-year tradition and throughout history it has represented, along with religion, a cornerstone in the preservation of the Serbian national identity,” he says.

It wasn’t until Vuk Karadžić, a philologist and linguist, reformed and standardised the Serbian language in the 19th century that literacy became common in Serbia (although full literacy was only achieved later, during socialist Yugoslavia), and Serbian Cyrillic took the form it has today. Among Karadžić’s most notable innovations was borrowing the letter ‘J’ from Latin and making the Serbian version of Cyrillic a little more streamlined compared to the Russian and Bulgarian versions, where letters like Я (ja) and Ю (ju) are used.

The expansion of the Latin script into Serbia came with the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia at the end of World War I when Latin and Cyrillic were both declared official scripts, as by that time Croatian had adopted the Latin alphabet.

According to Dr Klajn, by the time of socialist Yugoslavia the Latin script had become more common than Cyrillic. And this trend continued even after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, with the decline being accelerated by computers, the internet and mobile phones. It took a quite a while for the Cyrillic script to become available with native support on digital devices without the need for burdensome and complicated third-party applications. But this came too late. Even in the Serbian corners of the internet, Cyrillic is only used sparingly.

Dr Sokolović agrees that the introduction of new technologies and their related terms in English, helped to push Cyrillic out.

“Today it’s a habit – in our daily lives we communicate, actively and passively, in English and other languages that are written in a Latin alphabet. Additionally, the question of the domination of the Latin script has to do with the conformism and inertia of contemporary Serbian speakers. Cyrillic may not have been widely supported at the begging of the technological development but now its use requires much less effort,” he tells Emerging Europe.

Even though there is actually a Cyrillic top-level domain for Serbia (.срб), only a few high-traffic sites use it. Even the Serbian government doesn’t seem to keen on registering .срб domains.

The script isn’t helped by a – largely arbitrary – association with traditional causes and the political right. The logic goes that if somebody cares enough to switch alphabets on their computer or mobile phone, they might just care about such things too much.

Of course, there are no studies to confirm or deny this, but the implication is definitely present in the Serbian public sphere. Some who consider themselves cosmopolitan and liberal opt to use only the Latin script.

“I suppose such a view results from the importance that traditionalists place on the role of language and script in the structure of national identity,” Dr Sokolović explains. “However, based on the experience from my surroundings, I cannot conclude that the use of Cyrillic is limited only to nationalists.”

All of this has prompted many grassroots organisations, such as the Society for the Defense of Cyrillic – named after Serbian writer and poet Dobrica Erić – to begin thinking about how the script might be saved from eventual oblivion, as the 2005 law concerns only official use by institutions while the private sector and private citizens are free to use whichever script they choose.

Other societies for the protection of Cyrillic have also been formed and have lobbied continuously for some kind of legal protection for a script they feel is about to disappear.

They do seem to have a point. A 2014 poll found that people aged 20 to 29 use Latin 46 per cent more than they use Cyrillic. Older people aged 70 to 75 tended to use Cyrillic more.

“Today, Cyrillic doesn’t so much need ‘protection’ as positive discrimination. Protection itself needs to be understood as constant care about its state and modernisation. It wouldn’t do good to impose Cyrillic, it [the script] should be presented as something fully modern and functional,” Dr Sokolović says.

That younger generations prefer the Latin script is easily observable in schools. Serbian schools do not ban pupils from using Latin and the Cyrillic script is only mandatory for Serbian language and literature exams.

In 2018, a law was drafted with the intent to protect Cyrillic and elevate it over Latin as the only official script. Under the provisions of that law, Latin would become an auxiliary script. And unlike the previous law, this one would be binding for schools and the private sector and – most notably – the media.

As things stand now, of the many dailies and tabloids in Serbia, Politika and Večernje Novosti are the only high-circulation newspapers to be printed in Cyrillic.

However, for reasons that are not immediately clear, the law has been in abeyance for the past two years with no resolution in sight. Some have criticised it, most notably the Serbian linguist Ranko Bugarksi, as being too draconian. There are people in Serbia who consider both scripts to be part of their history and heritage, and for them elevating one over the other is not acceptable. Not to mention the Croatian and Bosnian minorities in Serbia who only use the Latin script.

“The question of political support for full use of the Cyrillic script has varied over time and depended on the current whims of the elites – ideological and pragmatic. The situation is the same today. A large part of the Serbian scientific community supports the passing of this law, that doesn’t delve into the private sphere of language users, but only regulates its official use,” says Dr Sokolović.

At the turn of the 20th century, many were quick to write Cyrillic off, but despite there not being any real resurgence the script is still alive and kicking.

But for how much longer? Time will tell. For now, there is still hope that Serbia’s dual-script system – unique among Slavic nations – will survive.

In Poland, gaming has become a national brand. Is Serbia about to follow suit?

It’s been a good year for the Serbian video game industry, according to the most recent industry report published by the Serbian Games Association (SGA).

Not only did the industry in this Western Balkans country achieve record revenues of 120 million euros, but other important factors like the number of development teams, their funding, and participation of women are all looking good. Video games made in Serbia have now been downloaded and purchased more than 350 million times.

“Watching the development of the game-making scene over the last few years is nothing short of amazing. From maybe three companies making games a decade ago, it very quickly it became dozens, to over 100 today,” says Miloš Đuričanin, impact strategist at Nordeus, one of the biggest gaming companies in Serbia.

Over the last year Serbian development teams have published 41 games and the industry now employs more than 2,100 people, about a third of whom are women. Following contemporary trends in the video game market, the majority (40 per cent) of titles coming out of Serbia are on mobile platforms.

Nino Rajačić, co-owner of Foxy Voxel, whose building simulation game, Going Medieval is set to be released on July 1 on the Steam platform, says that the recent successes of the Serbian gaming industry are great news.

“It’s a logical conclusion of the constant growth and development in the last ten years or so. In the previous period there were several large acquisitions too, which in my opinion can contribute to the further growth and development of quality and profitable games in Serbia,” he tells Emerging Europe.

Development is the right word for what is happening in Serbia. From a country with few developers whose games represented curiosities on the international market the industry has developed into a real presence. Games from Serbia are getting noticed more and more.

“Serbia is in a growth period that is very exciting, and being part of that makes us extremely proud, but inspired to see what the future holds,” says Mr Đuričanin.

In 2015, Stygian Software published Underrail, a role playing game (RPG) inspired by 1990s PC classics such as Fallout and Baldur’s Gate. The game has been a hit with niche audiences who still enjoy an old school take on RPGs.

More recently, Belgrade-based Ebb Software scored a deal with none other than Microsoft. Its upcoming H.R. Giger-inspired first person shooter, Scorn will be exclusive to the Xbox Series X line of consoles and was shown off last year during the Microsoft Inside Xbox event.

Then there is Nordeus, whose flagship Top Eleven football management simulation is available on Facebook, web, and mobile. In 2020, the game reached 220 million total lifetime registered users, proving its enduring popularity ten years after its original release.

Is Serbia heading for Polish-style levels of success?

While the Serbian market is still young, having gotten off to a somewhat later start than the most successful gaming market in emerging Europe — Poland — there are clear signs that it’s headed in the same direction.

One of the best indicators of a maturing industry is the market differentiation between participants. In Serbia, according to SGA data, the majority of companies (62 per cent) are working on original intellectual properties. But there is also a bourgeoning service and outsourcing sector. Ten per cent of the market is represented by service companies, while another ten per cent goes to outsourcing companies.

Foreign firms have started eyeing the market too. In 2016 the French giant Ubisoft opened a studio in Belgrade, with the team working on such high-value titles as third person shooter Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, driving game The Crew 2, and the winter sports simulation Steep’s expansion Road to the Olympics.

In 2019 Epic Games, the American developer and publisher behind the FPS cult hit Unreal and the recent popular e-sports obsession Fortnite, acquired Novi Sad-based digital effects and animation studio 3lateral – known for its groundbreaking facial digitalisation technology. 3lateral has contributed to such critically acclaimed and bestselling games as Until Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Hellblade, and Devil May Cry 5.

But, as with any emerging market, the Serbian gaming industry is not without obstacles and challenges.

“The main problem is in the lack of systemic solutions and support from the government,” says Mr Rajačić. “While some issues have been solved such as the Google Merchant Account and the Serbian iOS store, there are still issues around double taxation, which significantly lowers income and makes functioning difficult for studios both big and small.”

The SGA reports also highlights the tax issue as a problem, as well as the fact that the three main console manufacturers — Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, have not yet entered the Serbian market in an official capacity.

Still, Mr Đuričanin is optimistic about how things are unfolding.

“Our industry is now on the radar of both the decision makers locally, and the public,” he explains. “The fast-improving environment for game developers, and the growth of the ecosystem is attracting foreign investors, who bring in financial support and opportunities for local growth. Universities are also now creating new curricula that will breed new generations of gaming professionals in the years to come.”

He adds that the main task facing the industry now is to stay focused on ecosystem development and empowerment of the gaming community.

“The founding companies of the SGA are at the forefront of this change, and the more responsibility they are taking, not only for their companies, but for the future of the industry, and talent development, the faster we will put Serbia on the global map of gaming,” Mr Đuričanin says.

“The money will come, and is already here. Our primary goal for the next five years is to improve incubation and acceleration processes, together with education and talent development. We are building a system that will boost the creation of new founders, and give them mentorship support to develop products and businesses.”

To this effect, the SGA has already started several projects. One of them is Shift 2 Games, aimed at attracting talent to the industry from sectors that may not necessarily be seen as connected to the gaming industry. Given the strong interdisciplinary nature of game development — which requires programmers, artists, but also maths and physics experts – it’s a project that makes sense.

Additionally, the SGA is running a mentorship programme with the goal of horizontal knowledge transfer between its members. The SGA has also started a job seeking platform — SGA Jobs — to help companies source talent.

Government support needed

Mr Rajačić says that more support from the government is still needed, however.

“It’s key to find ways to educate and keep talent in Serbia as well as attracting new talent. The SGA has been working diligently on that for the past few years, but for better results, more concrete support from the government is necessary,” he says.

“Poland is much bigger than Serbia but has also for years built its gaming industry as a national brand. We can learn a lot from them.”

While it’s too early to tell how the Serbian gaming industry will develop in the future, and when it will reach the same level as that seen in Poland, it definitely seems to be on the right track.

“Our practical and technical education for programmers in Serbia is great, and is the primary reason why the game making scene managed to take off so quickly,” Mr Đuričanin says.

Foreign investment coming to the country is also a good sign.

“We predict this will only increase and strengthen our position,” Mr Đuričanin adds.

“This is a sign of the potential and success of our local market, and it is really starting to put Serbia on the global map of gaming.”