Libuša Baranová to lead Slovakian gambling regulator
The ÚRHH sees another change in leadership as pressure mounts for reforms in Slovakian gambling regulation.
Slovakia.- The Ministry of Finance has confirmed the appointment of Libuša Baranová as the new director general of Slovakia’s Office for the Regulation of Gambling (ÚRHH). It’s the second change at the top of the gambling regulator this year following the appointment of Jana Mravíková in April.
Mravíková stepped into the position following the departure of Martin Bohoš, who had led the authority since 2019. Finance minister Ladislav Kamenický reassigned Mravíková as director of the Department of Economics and Operations as of October 1.
This new leadership adjustment comes amid intensifying calls for reform in Slovakia’s gambling oversight. On leaving the regulator, Bohoš had called for a review of Slovakia’s Gambling Act, citing concerns that the legislation was lagging behind the rapid expansion of online gambling and lacked adequate consumer protections.
Sports and tourism minister Rudolf Huliak has proposed legislative amendments aimed at reinforcing the social responsibilities of gambling operators, with a particular focus on safeguarding consumers and supporting sports funding. Huliak has advocated for an approach that prioritises control over promotion, stressing the need for stronger protections for vulnerable individuals and tougher action against unlicensed operators
Meanwhile, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) has been pressing the Ministry of Finance to launch a tax audit of the gambling sector. The party has suggested that there is a disconnect between rising national betting volumes and stagnant tax revenues, which remain at €340m. KDH representatives have accused the ministry of inadequate oversight, a lack of transparency and inconsistent enforcement benefiting licensed operators.
Recent analyses from the Supreme Audit Office and the Institute for the Regulation of Gambling (IPRHH) have raised concerns over systemic flaws in the regulatory framework, describing it as outdated, fragmented, and lacking sufficient resources.
In August, a detailed report published by the gambling research body, Inštitútu pre reguláciu hazardných hier, the Institute for the Regulation of Gambling (IPRHH), raised concerns about the extent of unlicensed gambling in Slovakia. Described by the IPRHH as the first representative survey on illegal online gambling in Slovakia, the report was created in cooperation with the Institute of Sociology at the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV).
