In Slovakia, online wagering has experienced a 30% increase, while land-based revenue is anticipated to decrease in 2025.

In Slovakia, online wagering has experienced a 30% increase, while land-based revenue is anticipated to decrease in 2025.

 The Slovakian Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH) anticipates a decrease in revenue from land-based gaming in 2025, as online gambling revenue increased by 30% to nearly €476 million in 2024.
 Yesterday (March 11), Slovakia's URHH published its annual report, which delineated the wagering industry's revenue, sales, and tax income for 2024.  Legal wagering in Slovakia generated a total player expenditure of €24.2 billion in the previous year, representing an 11% increase from the previous year.

 The total gambling revenue for the region across all verticals was €1.45 billion, representing a 9.6% increase from 2023.  In 2024, online wagering revenue experienced a 30% increase, reaching nearly €476 million when examined in greater detail.

 In 2024, an estimated €12.18 billion was spent by online players, with €11.7 billion of that amount returned in the form of winnings.

 Martin Bohoš, director general of the Gambling Regulatory Authority, stated that online casinos continue to possess the largest market share.

 "The state's effective regulation, changes in consumer behaviour, and innovations in digital services are all contributing to their substantial growth." 

 Source: URHH
 Slovakia's land-based revenue totalled €480 million, which consists of €340 million in revenue from gambling rooms and €140 million in revenue from casinos.  However, the regulator anticipated that this would decrease by 2025.

 The report stated that the Gambling Regulatory Authority anticipates a decrease in revenues from land-based gaming and casinos in 2025 due to the implementation of more stringent regulations by municipal governments.

 The authority also emphasised that this situation could result in a migration of players to the illegal market, necessitating the implementation of more effective mechanisms to combat unlawful activities and more stringent supervision.

 In land-based gambling establishments, Slovakian players lost €481 million, which is €5 million more than they lost on online sites.

 The tax on gambling is set to rise by 15%
 In 2024, the Slovakian state collected €347.3 million in wagering taxes, representing a 15% increase from the previous year.  Nevertheless, the revenue generated by the gambling facility state decreased by 5% to €58.95 million.

 In 2024, the state revenue from online casinos increased by 35% to €126.10 million, while the casino wagering tax contribution increased by 26% to €16.40 million.

 Source: URHH (Growth = Rapidity)
 In 2024, numerical lotteries generated €47.6 million in tax revenue, which represents a 9% increase from the previous year.

 Gambling legislation and regulations
 The regulations regarding online gambling in Slovakia were implemented on March 1, 2019.  These included provisions that allowed operators from outside of Slovakia to qualify for casino and sports betting licenses.

 The URHH has announced that it has expanded its list of prohibited websites by 89 sites in 2024, bringing the total to 820. This expansion is intended to address the issue of unlawful websites.

 In November 2022, the URHH established a specialised online gaming department with the objective of identifying and prosecuting illicit site operators within the country.

 The regulator stated that it would persist in its efforts to create contemporary regulatory mechanisms that will guarantee the safety of players, the cessation of unlawful activities, and the steady growth of the licensed gambling market in Slovakia.

 The URHH developed a Code of Responsible Advertising in 2023, which was ratified by approximately 80% of the country's licensed operators.

 Operators concurred that they would promote responsible gaming and elevate awareness of the financial and addiction hazards associated with wagering under the code.