Hungary’s new government has launched a review of state-run gambling operator Szerencsejáték Zrt., signaling potential changes to the country’s tightly controlled betting market.
The administration led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar confirmed that all major state-owned enterprises will undergo scrutiny as part of a broader political and financial overhaul following 16 years of rule under Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party.
Particular attention will be placed on Szerencsejáték Zrt., the state-owned company that controls Hungary’s lottery monopoly and holds a dominant position in retail sports betting. Officials are expected to examine the operator’s governance, financial performance and use of revenues.
Finance Minister András Kármán accused the gambling operator of directing funds toward “propaganda purposes” instead of transparently returning profits to the national budget. He pledged to introduce stricter oversight and “corruption-free and transparent management” across public enterprises.
The review could also reopen debate over how gambling revenues were distributed during the previous administration, especially regarding public media funding and sponsorship agreements tied to politically connected organizations.
Incoming Culture and Social Relations Minister Zoltán Tarr said the government plans to reassess public media and cultural financing systems supported indirectly by lottery revenues. According to Tarr, the new administration aims to restore trust in state institutions after years of political interference.
Hungary’s gambling sector currently operates under the 1991 Gambling Operations Act and is regulated by the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH). Since 2023, the country has formally opened its online sports betting market to operators from the European Economic Area, although the system remains heavily tied to concessions and state supervision.
Industry observers believe the government may now revisit gambling concessions granted during the Orbán era while considering a more competitive framework for online betting.
The sector remains financially significant for the country. Szerencsejáték Zrt. generated around €3.25bn in revenue in 2024, reported more than 1.1 million registered players and contributed approximately €447m in taxes and regulatory payments. Hungary’s wider gambling market is estimated to be worth more than $1.7bn, with online betting continuing to grow rapidly across Central Europe.
Despite criticism of the operator’s privileged status, analysts believe the government is unlikely to dismantle the company’s dominant role entirely because of its importance to state revenues. Instead, reforms may focus on improving transparency and gradually opening the market to broader competition in line with the government’s pro-European Union agenda.