Slovakia Gambling Authority Blacklists 89 More Illegal Websites in 2024

The Slovakia Gambling Regulatory Authority has revealed a report showing the gambling habits of Slovaks for 2024.

The report revealed that Slovakian residents wagered €24.2 billion in 2024, with €22.8 billion paid out in winnings. This left operators with gross gaming revenue of €1.45 billion in 2024, up 9.6 percent compared to 2023’s figures.

The Key Drivers Behind Slovakia Gambling Growth

Martin Bohoš, CEO of the Slovakia Gambling Regulatory Authority commented: “The largest market share is still held by internet casinos, which saw a year-over-year increase in yield of 29.9 percent to almost 476 million Euros, while levies to the state budget increased by 35.1 percent to 126 million Euros.”

“Their significant growth is related to innovation in digital services, changing consumer behavior and effective regulation,” he continued.

The report highlights that despite the continued growth of online casinos, which now usurp brick-and-mortar locations, customers lose more at retail locations. This underlying data goes against the traditional argument that online gambling leads to higher losses, an argument often used in the United States of America legislative debates.

Brick-and-mortar gaming rooms have declined in overall market share but retained a stable GGR of around 340 million Euros in 2024. The regulator expects a drop in revenue for brick-and-mortar locations in 2025 due to tightening regulations at municipality level, which the Gambling Regulatory Authority stressed could lead to the “transfer of players to the illegal market.”

Cryptocurrency casinos fall into the unregulated, illegal market as Slovakia has no rules and regulations to permit the acceptance of digital currencies. The country’s Ministry of Finance posted guidance in 2018, explaining that revenues stemming from crypto must be taxed. Any virtual currency exchange for another should be considered a taxable transfer. It also suggested that the trade in cryptocurrencies involves risk of organized crime and terrorism. In addition, the National Bank of Slovakia warned the public that mining currency constitutes unauthorized currency production and would therefore constitute a criminal offence.

Sports betting in Slovakia saw a marked increase, owing largely due to major sporting events such as the European Football Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympics. Operators generated 313 million euros in GGR, and the state took an 8 percent year-over-year increase in tax, netting 87 million from sports betting.

The country’s lottery vertical saw 47.7 million added to state coffers, a year-over-year increase of 9.3 percent.

Blacklisted Operators Continue To Rise

Slovakia’s CEO emphasized that combatting illegal operators remains at the forefront of its strategy. “Fighting illegal gambling is one of our top priorities. We follow new attempts to circumvent regulation each year, and take measures to eliminate them,” he stated.

He continued: “Our task is to ensure that players have access to a safe and transparent gaming environment provided by legally licensed operators.”

A total of 89 websites were added to the country’s blacklist in 2024. There are now over 820 illegal online platforms on the list, which have offered, or are offering, illegal gambling in the country.

Moving forward, the regulatory body has outlined that its focus will be on the “development of modern regulatory mechanisms” to ensure the protection of players, as well as stable growth and development of the licensed gambling market in Slovakia.