Slovaks Lost Total of €1.45 billion on Gambling Last Year

Bratislava, March 15 (TASR) - Slovaks lost a total of €1.45 billion on gambling last year, up 9.6 percent from 2023, as they placed bets worth €24.2 billion and won €22.8 billion from stakes, the Gambling Regulation Authority has reported. "The largest market share is still held by online casinos, which recorded a year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in revenues of 29.9 percent to almost €476 million, with levies to the state budget going up by 35.1 percent to €126 million," said Gambling Regulation Authority general director Martin Bohos. He ascribed the significant growth to innovations in digital services, changes in consumer behaviour and effective regulation by the state. State budget revenues from gambling reached €347.3 million in 2024, an increase of €45.8 million y-o-y. For comparison, revenues from gambling amounted to €251.9 million in 2022, stated the regulatory authority. Slovaks lost €481 million in brick-and-mortar gambling houses and casinos last year, which was €5 million more than in online casinos. According to the authority, brick-and-mortar casinos continue to hold a stable position on the gambling market with revenues amounting to €340 million, despite the fact that this was the only type of gambling to post a decline in all indicators. The authority expects revenues from brick-and-mortar casinos to fall this year as a result of tougher regulations at the local government level. However, this might cause punters to resort to the illegal market, which will require stricter supervision and the introduction of more effective mechanisms to eliminate illegal activities. The authority noted that it continues to monitor and eliminate illegal gambling activities. Last year, it placed an additional 89 websites on the list of banned sites, bringing the total number of illegal online platforms offering gambling without a valid licence to more than 820. ko/df/lin