The Minister of Sports and Tourism, Rudolf Huliak, has proposed amendments to the country's gambling legislation, emphasizing that the purpose of this move is to regulate the gambling market, not to promote its growth, despite opposition from conservatives.
Huliak stated that the current gambling law, implemented in 2019, was intended to open up the online gambling market but was too biased towards operator interests, neglecting customer protection. The proposed revision would prohibit operators from marketing gambling products to welfare recipients, child support defaulters, and taxpayers in arrears. He also hopes that the national lottery operator TIPOs can play a larger role, directing gambling revenues into public and social projects.
"Our goal is not to promote the gambling industry, but to manage it effectively," Huliak pointed out. "Illegal operators exploit legal loopholes, targeting vulnerable groups, transferring profits overseas, while regulated platforms face heavy compliance requirements but lack competitive protection. This situation is unsustainable."
However, opposition parties, including the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), criticize the minister for trying to appear as a reformer while avoiding issues of taxation and consumer protection. They question the tax model and the discrepancy in the amounts paid by licensed operators, calling for a parliamentary investigation.
Huliak insists, "Our goal is to create a fair, transparent, and socially responsible gambling environment. Strengthening the Gambling Industry Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) is not for state control, but to ensure that gambling profits can flow back to the Slovak community, not to overseas markets. This amendment is a key step in repositioning the gambling system to serve the public interest, rather than private enrichment."
