Slovakia sees strong growth in taxes and fees from gambling

The gambling regulator of Slovakia has revealed that players in the country wagered €21.36 billion in 2023, earning the state €301 million in taxes and fees.

The country’s licensed operators paid out €20.4 billion in winnings during the year, resulting in gross gaming revenue of €1.32 billion.

According to the regulator, online casino gaming and sports betting accounted for the largest share of spend during the year, followed by land-based casino gaming, although no breakdown was provided for the various activities.

In terms of contributions to the state, online casino gaming was the largest segment with a contribution of €93 million, followed by sports betting at €80.48 million and land-based casino gaming at €61.9 million.

The regulator added that the online channel accounted for 90 per cent of sports bets during the year, while lotteries attracted just 14 per cent online participation.

It also warned that contributions to the state from land-based gambling are expected to fall by as much as 22 per cent this year under new rules which give local municipalities powers to prevent gaming venues from opening or operating.

“From the perspective of the regulator, we need to talk openly about the risk associated with the ban on legal gambling, which creates conditions for the creation of illegal gambling halls,” said Martin Bohoš, director general of the Office for the Regulation of Gambling Games.

“I would like this topic to be subject to a wider social discussion, because if someone feels that by banning legal gambling in the territory of a larger city, gambling will be dealt with, yes, legal gambling will be dealt with, but the risks of illegal gambling will remain high.”

The €301 million contribution to the state in 2023 represents an increase of more than €50 million over 2022.

There are currently 19 licensed online gaming operators in Slovakia, out of a total of 74 licensed operators.