Hungary regulates gambling under Act XXXIV of 1991 on Gambling Operations. It combines a state monopoly, concessions and, since 2023, licensing. Lotteries and most land-based sports betting are reserved to the state. Land-based casinos operate under long-term concessions. Online casino games may be offered only by companies that hold a Hungarian casino concession. Online (remote) betting, a state monopoly until the end of 2022, has been open to licensed Hungarian and EEA operators since 1 January 2023. The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH) licenses operators, blocks unlicensed websites and enforces player-protection rules. This guide sets out the framework, its history before the EU Court of Justice, the position of players and the main protection tools.
Key points
- The core statute is Act XXXIV of 1991 on Gambling Operations, supplemented by advertising and anti-money-laundering legislation.
- The regulator is the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (Szabályozott Tevékenységek Felügyeleti Hatósága, SZTFH).
- Online casino games may be organised only by holders of a land-based casino concession. In October 2026 the SZTFH register listed three online casino domains, all run by one concession holder.
- Remote betting was opened to licensed private operators on 1 January 2023. Licences last up to seven years and carry a one-off licensing fee of HUF 600 million.
- Unlicensed gambling websites are entered on a public block list, which held 6,682 entries on 30 September 2026. Claims arising from unlicensed gambling cannot be enforced in Hungarian courts.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026.
Historical development
Modern Hungarian gambling law dates from Act XXXIV of 1991, adopted shortly after the end of the communist period. The Act created a mixed system. Some games, notably lotteries and sports betting, were reserved to the state and operated by the state-owned company Szerencsejáték Zrt. Others, notably casinos, were opened to private companies through concessions. A “concession” is a time-limited right, granted by the state, to carry out an activity that the state has reserved to itself.
Hungary’s approach to online gambling has been shaped by litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Two judgments are central:
- In Unibet International (C-49/16, 22 June 2017), a Malta-based operator had its Hungarian-language websites blocked and was fined by the then tax authority. The Court held that Hungary’s original requirement of at least ten years’ gambling experience in Hungary was discriminatory against operators from other member states. The later three-year requirement was applied without sufficient transparency. Where a licensing system breaches Article 56 TFEU, penalties for failing to comply with it cannot be imposed.
- In Sporting Odds (C-3/17, 28 February 2018), the Court accepted that a “dual system” is not in itself contrary to EU law. In such a system some games are a state monopoly and others are subject to concessions or licences. The restrictions must, however, pursue legitimate aims such as consumer protection consistently. The Court held that requiring an online casino operator to hold a land-based casino concession in Hungary was “not a condition indispensable” to those aims, because less restrictive measures were available.
The next structural change came at the end of 2022. According to the SZTFH, from 1 January 2023 remote betting was no longer limited to the state-owned Szerencsejáték Zrt. and the state horse-race betting company. Licensed Hungarian and EEA companies may now apply. CMS describes this as the end of the online betting monopoly.
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Legal framework
According to CMS’s guide to Hungarian gambling law, the main sources of law are:
- Act XXXIV of 1991 on Gambling Operations (Szjtv.), which defines the forms of gambling, the monopoly, concession and licensing regimes, the gaming tax and the supervisory powers;
- Act XLVIII of 2008 on Commercial Advertising, which restricts gambling advertising;
- Act LIII of 2017 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, which applies to gambling operators;
- implementing decrees of the SZTFH, including Decree 20/2021 (X.29.) SZTFH on licensing and technical requirements and Decree 5/2021 SZTFH on responsible gaming.
The system has three layers:
- State monopoly: lotteries, and general and sports betting other than horse-race betting and the remote forms opened in 2023.
- Concessions: land-based casinos. CMS notes that casino concessions can last up to 35 years.
- Licences: card rooms, remote betting and certain other activities, which the SZTFH describes as “liberalised”.
Hungary is an EU member state, so its rules must respect the Treaty freedoms as interpreted by the CJEU. The European Commission notes that there is no sector-specific EU gambling legislation and that “no particular system is favoured over the others”. Each state may therefore choose between a monopoly and licensing, provided it acts consistently and proportionately.
Regulator and licensing model
The SZTFH is responsible for authorising, inspecting, supervising and regulating gambling. It also acts as consumer-protection authority for gambling promotion and takes action against illegal gambling. Its public licence register lists authorised operators by category, with the authorised website, licence expiry date and any suspension.
Online casino games
The SZTFH’s guidance on online casino games states that online casino games may be organised “exclusively by a concession company entitled to organise casino games”. The main conditions are:
- an application fee of HUF 2.5 million if filed together with a casino licence application, otherwise HUF 5 million;
- authorisation for the duration of the concession and the casino licence;
- servers located in the EEA, remote access for the authority and continuous audit compliance;
- a separate Hungarian bank account covering player balances.
The guidance thus still reflects the link between online casino and land-based concessions that the CJEU criticised in Sporting Odds. On 1 October 2026 the register listed three online casino domains, all operated by the same land-based casino concession holder, with authorisations running to 2056. It also listed ten land-based casinos.
Remote betting
Since 2023, remote betting (távszerencsejáték) has been open to any Hungarian company or EEA economic operator that meets the statutory conditions. EEA applicants must appoint a Hungarian representative. Remote betting covers fixed-odds and totalisator betting offered exclusively through telecommunications. Poker is not listed. The SZTFH sets out:
- an application fee of HUF 10 million and a licensing fee of HUF 600 million for the whole licence term, payable in advance;
- a quarterly supervision fee of 2.5% of net gaming revenue (minimum HUF 100,000, maximum HUF 10 million);
- a maximum licence term of seven years;
- mandatory player protection: self-exclusion, deposit limits, loss limits and play-time warnings;
- a segregated Hungarian bank account and remote server access for the regulator.
On 1 October 2026 the register listed two remote betting domains. One belonged to the state operator Szerencsejáték Zrt., licensed until 23 October 2027, and the other to a casino concession holder.
Online gambling: enforcement
Hungary uses three public registers against unlicensed operators:
- The register of blocked gambling websites. This is a form of “IP blocking”, meaning internet providers must make listed domains temporarily inaccessible. The SZTFH says blocking lasts 365 days. The register held 6,682 entries when last updated on 30 September 2026.
- A separate register of blocked advertising pages, aimed at websites that promote unlicensed gambling.
- The register of prohibited payment accounts, based on sections 13/C and 13/E of the Gambling Act. Payment providers must monitor it and block deposits and payouts linked to listed accounts. When last updated in July 2024, it contained only three accounts.
Practice has not been entirely consistent. In its 2023 guide, CMS reported that the authority had suspended ordering ISP blocking for technical reasons, except for fraudulent sites. The register’s regular updates in 2026 suggest that listing has since continued. Readers should rely on the SZTFH’s current registers rather than on older descriptions.
Advertising of unlicensed gambling is prohibited, according to CMS. Licensed operators’ advertising is also restricted; for example, gambling advertisements may not appear in printed media aimed mainly at children or young people.
Position of players
The SZTFH’s guidance for players on unlicensed gambling focuses on enforcement against organisers: blocking, payment restrictions and fines. It does not describe a penalty for players, and we found no record of players being prosecuted for using an unlicensed site. The guidance does, however, set out three legal consequences for players:
- Unenforceable claims. Claims arising from a game or bet cannot be enforced in court unless the game is run under an official licence. A player who is not paid by an unlicensed operator therefore has no remedy in the Hungarian courts.
- Taxation. Winnings from licensed gambling are generally tax-free, but all winnings from unlicensed gambling count as taxable personal income.
- Practical exposure. Players lose access to customer protection and responsible-gambling safeguards and may find payments blocked.
Only adults may take part. The SZTFH states that, apart from tombola, only persons aged 18 or over may gamble.
Taxation
Operators
Operators pay gaming tax (játékadó) under the Gambling Act. CMS gives the following rates:
| Activity | Gaming tax (per CMS) |
|---|---|
| Remote gambling (remote betting) | 15% of net gaming revenue, payable monthly |
| Land-based casinos | 30% of net gaming revenue up to HUF 10 billion; above that, HUF 3 billion plus 10% of the excess |
| Card rooms | 40% of net gaming revenue |
Remote betting licensees also pay the SZTFH supervision fee described above. According to CMS, 3% of casino gaming tax is earmarked for player protection or charitable purposes, including a 24-hour call centre and addiction prevention programmes.
Players
According to the SZTFH, winnings from licensed casinos, card rooms, sports betting, lotteries, bingo, remote betting and online casinos are exempt from personal income tax. The exception is winnings from foreign jackpot systems linked to online casino games, on which the operator must withhold and pay the tax. Winnings from unlicensed games are taxable income, which the player must declare. CMS’s guide refers to a 15% personal income tax on prize income withheld by the operator. Players with large or unusual winnings should confirm the position with the tax authority.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Responsible-gaming rules are set by the Gambling Act and SZTFH Decree 5/2021, as described on the SZTFH’s player protection page. Key features include:
- Self-limitation and self-exclusion. Players can make a formal self-limiting declaration (jelentős önkorlátozó nyilatkozat). The SZTFH publishes a template and keeps a player-protection register.
- Operator tools. Remote betting licensees must offer self-exclusion, deposit limits, loss limits and play-time warnings.
- Certification. Since 2017 operators can obtain a certification for meeting player-protection standards.
- Helpline. The SZTFH runs a free player-protection “green number”, +36 80 205 352, available 24 hours a day, which also accepts anonymous reports. Its pages link to addiction services, psychiatric providers and civil organisations that support problem gamblers.
See also our responsible gambling guide. At EU level, Commission Recommendation 2014/478/EU sets out non-binding principles on registration, age checks, self-exclusion and limits for online gambling.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Remote betting market. The 2023 liberalisation is in place, but the register still shows few remote betting licensees. In October 2026 only two domains were listed, one of them belonging to the state operator.
- Online casino. The legal tie between online casino games and land-based concessions continues, despite the CJEU’s reasoning in Sporting Odds. The tension between the SZTFH’s guidance and the Court’s reasoning has not, on the sources reviewed, been resolved by legislation.
- Enforcement. The block list of unlicensed websites continued to grow in 2026 and was last updated on 30 September 2026.
Casino listings for players in Hungary
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed in Hungary. In Hungary, online casino games may lawfully be offered only by the holders of a Hungarian casino concession that appear in the SZTFH’s official licence register. Please check the exact domain there, and in the register of blocked websites, before playing.
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Sources and further reading
- SZTFH, Engedélyek közhiteles nyilvántartása (updated 1 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Szerencsejáték-ügyi blokkolt honlapok (updated 30 September 2026).
- SZTFH, Tiltott fizetési számlák nyilvántartása (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Szerencsejáték-felügyelet (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Online kaszinójáték (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Távszerencsejáték (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Játékosvédelem (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Játékosi tudnivalók az engedélyes szerencsejáték előnyeiről és az engedély nélküli szerencsejátékban történő részvétel veszélyeiről (accessed 5 October 2026).
- SZTFH, Amit játékosként a szerencsejátékról tudni érdemes (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Court of Justice of the European Union, Unibet International Ltd v Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal Központi Hivatala, C-49/16 (2017).
- Court of Justice of the European Union, Sporting Odds Ltd v Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal Központi Irányítása, C-3/17 (2018).
- CMS (Petrányi, D., Csapó, E. and Domokos, M.), Gambling laws in Hungary (accessed 5 October 2026).
- CMS (Csapó, E. and Domokos, M.), Online gambling regulation in Hungary (2023).
- European Commission, Gambling (accessed 5 October 2026).
- European Commission, Recommendation 2014/478/EU on principles for the protection of consumers and players of online gambling services (2014).
