Slovakias gaming oversight body declared in a public statement that Slovak citizens gambled a total of €214 billion ($231 billion) in 2023.
The head of the Slovak Gaming Authority, Martin Bohoš, stated that Slovak players claimed €204 billion in winnings. The contribution to the nation increased by over €50 million year-over-year, reaching over €301 million.
Online levies accounted for €93 million of the national contribution, while fixed-odds betting accounted for €80.48 million. In the meantime, brick-and-mortar casinos contributed €61.9 million to the country.
The online market continues to dominate, with 90% of Slovaks favoring online wagering. However, for digital lotteries, online betting only represents 14% of total wagers, with Slovaks still preferring to play lotteries in physical locations.
Slovakias fixed-odds betting tax rate is 22% of online operators’ gross gaming revenue (GGR), and 6% of land-based companies’ turnover. Meanwhile, for casinos, the tax rate for online operators is again 22%. For land-based casinos, 27% of GGR goes to the government, and 3% goes to the municipality where the casino is situated.
The regulatory body is striving to suppress unlawful operators.
Bohosh recognized that Slovak authorities encounter persistent hurdles in addressing illicit online gambling enterprises. Nonetheless, he highlighted that data suggests that attempts to combat illegal gambling are “successful,” especially concerning technical equipment like slot machines in pubs and other food service establishments.
Authorities actively pursue underground operators online, including loot boxes in video games. This battle against illicit operators extends into the digital realm. Authorities possess the power to penalize advertisements for illegal operators.
Bohosh outlined the hazards of certain municipalities endeavoring to prohibit gambling, arguing that such restrictive measures could drive players towards potentially detrimental black markets.
“I trust this matter will be subject to a wider societal discourse, because if someone believes that by banning legal gambling in a major city, the gambling problem will be resolved, yes, legal gambling will be resolved, but the risk of illegal gambling will remain elevated.”
In May 2023, authorities declared that they conducted 2,511 inspections in the initial quarter. This signifies an increase of 201 inspections compared to the same period in 2022. Digital inspections surged by 90% compared to the first quarter of 2022.
Restrictions by municipalities are anticipated to diminish contributions from brick-and-mortar casinos.
While land-based casinos contributed €61.9 million to the state budget in 2023, authorities anticipate this figure to decrease by 22% by 2025.
This is due to certain municipal government restrictions.
Municipal governments possess the authority to control gambling activities within their respective areas. These powers encompass prohibiting physical venues and imposing other limitations, such as restricting specific locations.
Bohoš also expressed disapproval of Slovak towns and cities for neglecting the nation’s gambling agenda.
Which gambling offerings are accessible in Slovakia?
Sporting event wagering, horse racing betting, poker, and gambling houses are all regulated gambling offerings in Slovakia. In the meantime, lotteries and bingo are exclusively provided by the state-owned entity Tipos.
Slovakia’s gambling legislation took effect on March 1, 2019. The legislation permits foreign private operators to apply for sports betting and casino licenses, although sports betting licenses did not become operational until July 1, 2020.
In 2022, the nation’s regulatory body released a list of approved websites operated by Slovak-licensed operators.
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