The Hungarian Parliament's Economic Committee has approved a report from Marcell Biró, Chairman of the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH), discussing the measures taken against illegal gambling so far.
The SZTFH regulates a range of industries in the country, including gambling, tobacco, geology, mining and cyber defence.
During this report, Biró explained that Hungary opened up remote gambling licences to operators on 1 January 2023.
This had a few different effects, including increased taxation options and player experiences, but this also marked the end of the state game operator monopoly on the remote gambling market.
However, with an influx of additional operators in the country, it’s more important than ever for Hungary to have strict measures to regulate them.
Biró then went on the discuss that Hungary utilised three separate methods to try and combat illegal gambling, which are blocking access to websites, preventing payments and criminal complaints.
He said: “At the same time, since 2014, well-capitalized multinational companies have initiated proceedings against the Hungarian State in more than 160 cases, and since 1 September this number has risen to 32. With their move, the multinationals have clearly expressed that they do not wish to become part of the legal Hungarian market.”
In a parallel move, Hungary has also adopted the Act on Cybersecurity Certification and Cybersecurity Supervision to tighten online security.
Biró said: "The rollout is expected by mid-2024 with sufficient preparation time, which means Hungary could be the first Member State in the EU to have the full legal environment for cyber certification.”
In other news, Szerencsejáték, the Hungarian national lottery, launched an EveryMatrix-powered sportsbook & platform service.
