Martin Bohoš, ÚRHH: “The reason for this high interest in online gambling is mainly due to a change in consumer behaviour”
Martin Bohoš, director general of the ÚRHH, speaks to Focus Gaming News about the growth of online gambling in Slovakia.
Exclusive interview.- A report presented to the Slovakian Parliament earlier this month revealed that gambling spend reached €24.2bn in 2024, a rise of 14 per cent year-on-year. Online gambling generated bets of €12.8bn and land-based gambling €8.92bn (€6.14bn from gaming halls and €2.78bn from casinos).
To learn more Focus Gaming News interviewed Martin Bohoš, director general of Slovakia’s gambling regulator, the ÚRHH, who spoke about market trends, responsible gaming, and the future of land-based and online gambling.
The recent ÚRHH regulatory report highlights a significant increase in online gambling participation. What do you see as the key drivers behind this growth?
In Slovakia, since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen very dynamic growth in gambling, especially in the online casino segment. The year 2024 was also very dynamic in terms of online casinos and in terms of gross gaming revenue (GGR) this segment recorded a growth of almost 30 per cent and in terms of the amount of the levy paid to the state budget it was a growth of up to 35 per cent. We expect similar growth in 2025 and it has to be said that this development is not significantly different from other European countries.
The reason for this high interest in Internet gambling is mainly due to a change in consumer behaviour, who increasingly prefer the online environment for the purchase of goods and services and also for entertainment, which is becoming more and more attractive thanks to innovations in the field of information technology and is also available anywhere and at any time without restriction.
It is also important to note that the generation of gamers is particularly influenced by Generation Z, which has grown up in the digital era and the Internet is a very natural living space for this generation.
With online gambling gaining more market share, how is the ÚRHH ensuring that operators comply with responsible gaming measures?
ÚRHH requires and monitors compliance by Internet gambling operators with the obligations imposed on them primarily by the Gambling Act. These include measures relating to the mandatory use of the exclusion register, the application of self-restraint measures, and information on the risk of addiction and high financial losses. Since 2023, online casino operators have been governed by the Code of Conduct for Responsible Advertising when advertising and promoting their services, but this is a self-regulatory document and ÚRHH is not competent to sanction non-compliance with the Code of Conduct.
We have high expectations in the ÚRHH from the new consumer protection regulation, when from 2026 the ÚRHH will be the main supervisory authority over compliance with the Consumer Protection Act in the field of gambling and we will be able to effectively control and sanction unfair commercial practices of internet gambling operators.
The report notes that sports betting wagers reached €2.73bn, with a significant boost from Euro 2024 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Do you expect this trend to continue?
The odds bets amounted to a GGR of EUR 313m for 2024. The major world events that took place during 2024 certainly had an important share in the figures achieved, but it must be said that in terms of betting, regular sporting events such as football and hockey matches in the popular European and American leagues dominate throughout the year.
In terms of the future of sports betting, e-sport events and virtual sports will also become increasingly important. This development is unstoppable precisely in the context of the emergence of a new digital generation of players.
The report suggests that land-based gambling is struggling due to local restrictions and changing consumer habits. How do you see the future of land-based casinos and gaming halls in Slovakia?
The trend of cities and municipalities adopting general binding ordinances prohibiting the location of casinos and gaming facilities on their territory continues during 2025. There is a noticeable increase in bans, particularly from smaller municipalities that are in the catchment areas of large regional cities that have banned gambling.
On the one hand, this is a natural progression, but on the other hand, also from the position of the regulator, we repeatedly point out that the absolute prohibition of legal gambling significantly stimulates and encourages the growth of illegal establishments.
The future of gambling halls in Slovakia is difficult to predict now, but in any case, we expect a reduction in the number of gambling halls in 2025 and also a reduction in the total number of technical facilities operated in brick-and-mortar gambling halls.
“The future of gambling halls in Slovakia is difficult to predict now, but in any case, we expect a reduction in the number of gambling halls in 2025.”
Martin Bohoš, director general of the ÚRHH.
The ban on gambling venues in Bratislava has had a clear impact on the industry. Do you expect similar restrictions to be implemented in other regions?
In Slovakia, most regional cities, including the capital Bratislava, have already adopted a general binding regulation prohibiting the location of casinos and gambling halls on their territory. In the case of Bratislava, we have already registered several cases where the ÚRHH had to intervene due to the operation of gambling without a licence. In the case of an area as large as the territory of the capital, we must unfortunately expect a tendency to operate illegal gambling establishments. However, what is a big problem in the case of illegal gambling is that illegal gambling subsequently causes other problems such as non-payment of taxes and levies, illegal employment, money laundering and other forms of economic or, for example, drug-related crime.
How do you see the role of technology, such as AI and digital identity verification in online gambling in the coming years?
The impact of technological innovation and AI will be very strong in the coming years. On the one hand, operators will use these new technologies to better configure the products and services they offer and to communicate more effectively with players, but on the other hand, these technologies will enable the development of more effective tools to meet operators’ anti-money laundering obligations or to assess players’ risk-taking behaviour. This will certainly also improve the results of responsible gambling and the prevention of the negative impacts of risky gambling.
“New technologies will enable the development of more effective tools to meet operators’ anti-money laundering obligations or to assess players’ risk-taking behaviour.”
Martin Bohoš, director general of the ÚRHH.
What do you expect for the future of Slovakia’s online gambling industry in terms of growth, regulation, and innovation?
Slovakia is part of the European area. Developments in the gambling sector in terms of innovation and the growth of internet gambling are likely to follow European and global trends in Slovakia. The interest and objective of the ÚRHH is and will be to promote balanced regulation, to support measures to prevent the harms and risks arising from gambling and to consistently combat all forms of illegal gambling.
