Guide to Online Gambling Sites in Hungary
| Summary: Gambling is legal in Hungary (a poorer Central European country, with a population of 10 million, member of the European Union).
Online gambling is also legal in Hungary, although it is severely restricted (details below). Most forms of gambling are a monopoly of the state owned (majority ownership) Szerencsejáték Zrt. (English: Games of Chance cPLC.). However, some forms are open to private investors. You can find a list of online gambling websites, which accept players from Hungary by scrolling below, or click here to jump to that list: |
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe (Central European geographically, but Eastern European culturally and economically). The country is visited by 17 million international overnight tourists every year1 (which is a good value for a Central European country, more than most of its neighbours, pre-coronavirus values).
Gambling is legal in Hungary since 1991 (before that they were part of the USSR, and in the Soviet Union gambling was mostly illegal), according to the 1991 Law on Organizing Gambling Activates (1991. évi XXXIV. törvény a szerencsejáték szervezéséről)2.
Sports betting, online sports betting, lottery, online lottery, bingo and online bingo are a monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt. (English: Games of Chance cPLC.).
The only sectors, which are open to private companies are the casino and online casino sectors.
Since 2012, land-based gambling is limited to licensed casinos, state owned betting shops and horse racing betting offices (LOVI) of Szerencsejáték Zrt. (and scratchcards can be purchased in some shops as well).
Slot machines in pubs and smaller slot halls were ubiquitous in the country but are banned since 2012.
Online gambling is also legal in Hungary.
After years of negotiations with foreign gambling companies and EU officials the new licensing system is complete3. The first licensed online casino was opened in the second half of 2017 by LVC Diamond Kft., in partnership with Ezugi and Finnplay4: vegas.hu.
/Comment: LVC Diamond Kft. was one of the companies of Andrew G. Vajna (RIP 2019), a Hungarian born world famous producer (Rambo, Total Recall and Terminator). LVC Diamond owns all 5 casinos of Budapest. Sadly he passed away in 2019. He also served as the government commissioner in charge of the Hungarian film industry (his work is associated with the film Son of Saul, because of his connections in the American film industry, and because of the topic of the film it got an Oscar for best foreign movie in 2016).
UPDATE: Sadly, his son commit suicide as well, many years prior to his death. Therefore the casino empire was left without heir. It is now in the hands of millionares Garancsi István, Hungarian businessman and football team owner, and Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf former London ambassador of Hungary./
The second online casino, which opened was grandacasino.hu. Grandcasino is only partially owned by a Hungarian company, the other owner is an offshore tax-evading company registered in Curacao, a tax haven, home to the biggest online casino companies.
Because Hungary is an EU member Article 56 TFEU5 and Article 8 of Directive 98/34/EC (EU gambling directives) apply. This states that other EU online gambling companies should be provided access to the hungarian market, and they should be provided a way to obtain local gambling licenses (free trade of services and free competition within the Eurozone).
However, just like in most European countries, the licensing process and requirements are not fully EU compliant. And just like most EU countries there is a lot of litigation, legal back-and-forth in behind the scenes.
Although, the Hungarian system on the surface looks compliant (companies can get a brick & mortar casino licence, with which they can create online casinos as well) the number of casino licenses is very limited, there is a lot of alleged corruption and there is no way to get an online casino licence separately.
Foreign online gambling operators should acquire a license to be able to accept players from the country. However, a lot of them disregard this and illegally accept Hungarian players. Even though Hungarian players are not prosecuted for playing on such websites, this is technically illegal, and such unlicensed online gambling platforms are not included on this page.
UPDATE 2021: No big changes in the gambling legislation in 2021.
You can find a list of online gambling websites, which accept players from Hungary below.
Hungary gambling licensing
Gambling is regulated and controlled by the NAV (the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary) and the Szerencsejáték Felügyelet (Gambling Supervisory Authority, a branch of SZTFH). The Gambling Supervisory Authority issues all licenses and oversees all licensed gambling activity within the country, including online gambling. Their website is not available in English.
Private companies in Hungary can acquire the following licenses:
- casino licence (covers poker too)
- online casino (covers online poker too)
The law allows the licensing of 11 brick and mortar casinos throughout the country. As of now, all 11 casinos are in operation.
The number of online casino licenses is also capped at 11. And only licensed land-based casinos are allowed to operate online casinos, but partnering with foreign companies is possible (only one of them, Grandcasino Debrecen is in such a partnership).
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Contact me through the live chat, it's in the bottom right corner of the website, or in the comments section at the bottom of this page, with a link to the website you wish to advertise. If you qualify, I will give you my email address where we can discuss everything (I won't be putting my email address on the page, due to the extreme amount of spam I receive as it is).
In exchange: In order to appear for free on this website, you have to link back to this guide, from your website. It must be your website, your employer's website, a law blog or something similar. The link doesn't have to be in a prominent position, or on the homepage. It can be placed at the bottom of an unimportant page, where people don't see it, that's fine with me. And 1 sentence is enough, something like this: "We are featured on Simon's Gambling and Casino Blog, at <link here>."
That's all, if you are interested, get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Gambling tax in Hungary
The gambling tax payable is not determined by one specific standalone act, but rather it is determined by various pertaining clauses of the tax law6.
Casino and online casino gambling is taxed the following way:
- If the the annual turnover is below 10 billion Hungarian Forints (€28 907 670): 30% of annual turnover
- Over 10 billion hungarian Forints: it’s 3 billion hungarian Forints + 10% of part of annual turnover, which is above 10 billion
+ The high annual license concession fee (116 million Hungarian Forints per casino and online casino website, €335 338, second highest licensing fee in Central Europe) can be entirely deducted from the taxes paid (otherwise many casinos would have gone bankrupt in the countryside).
It’s among the top 10 highest annual licensing fees in Europe, and the highest in Central Europe.
Lottery-like games are taxed the following way:
- lottery: 24% of the monthly prize pool
- keno: 24% of the monthly prize pool
- joker: 17% of the monthly prize pool
- totalizer: 17% of the monthly prize pool
- other lottery-type game: 17% of the monthly prize pool
Sports betting taxation in Hungary: 20% of net winnings paid out reduced by invalid bets
Online sports betting: 15% of winnings paid out
Horse racing betting: tax free, except online
Bingo taxation in Hungary: 7% of the monthly prize pool
This is on top of other regular taxes.
For players, taxation of gambling winnings: Players don’t need to pay taxes on gambling wins if it’s from legally operating licensed operators.
However, players do need to pay taxes on winnings from unlicensed gambling companies.
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And all this for free. Click on the drop down section if you are interested and want to get listed.
How to get featured
- send me a link to your website, or your employer's website
- send me 1-2 sentences about you and/or your business etc.., something that describes the business, what you do, something that makes potential clients interested
- send me one single picture of your company's logo, or a picture of your office, or one of your certificates, credentials which you are proud of etc... (but don't send a picture of yourself, for legal reasons I want to avoid uploading pictures of people)
The picture must be 150x150 pixels.
Contact me through the live chat, it's in the bottom right corner of the website, or in the comments section at the bottom of this page, with a link to the website you wish to advertise. If you qualify, I will give you my email address where we can discuss everything (I won't be putting my email address on the page, due to the extreme amount of spam I receive as it is).
In exchange: In order to appear for free on this website, you have to link back to this guide, from your website. It must be your website, your employer's website, a law blog or something similar. The link doesn't have to be in a prominent position, or on the homepage. It can be placed at the bottom of an unimportant page, where people don't see it, that's fine with me. And 1 sentence is enough, something like this: "We are featured on Simon's Gambling and Casino Blog, at <link here>."
That's all, if you are interested, get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Legal gambling age in Hungary: 18+
Other:
Loot boxes, skin gambling, fantasy sports betting and social gambling are not specifically regulated in Hungary.
Sources, and main pieces of the Hungarian gambling legislation:
1Statista – Number of inbound overnight tourist trips to Hungary from 2009 to 2020
2(Hungarian) Laws of Hungary – Organizing Gambling Activities
3LinkedIn – Zoltán Ormos – Legal background of online gambling in Hungary
4CalvinAyre – Las Vegas Casino Hungary announces agreement with Ezugi
5JSTOR – Freedom to provide services — Article 56 TFEU — Games of chance
6Jögkövető – Hogyan adózik az online szerencsejáték nyereménye? (Hungarian)
List of online gambling sites, which accept players from Hungary
The following online gambling websites accept players from Hungary:
According to the various online gambling laws of Hungary we can not recommend any online casino to Hungarian visitors, only Szerencsejáték Zrt., Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-szervező Kft., LVC Diamond Kft., and Cívis Grand Casino Kft. can organize, conduct and advertise online gambling activities.
In accordance with this I would like to ask you to leave this website, if you are a Hungarian citizen.
None of the gambling websites we work with accept players from Hungary, and according to our terms and conditions (click here to read, remember you accepted the terms and conditions when you entered the webpage) visitors from Hungary are required to leave the webpage.
None of the gambling platforms advertising on the website accept Hungarian players: more info here.
Thank you for understanding.
Summary:
- Casino gambling in Hungary
- Bingo in Hungary
- Poker in Hungary
- Sports betting in Hungary
- Lottery in Hungary
- Bitcoin gambling in Hungary
Casino gambling in Hungary
Casinos in Hungary: legal since 1991, operators require a licence, slot halls are not legal
Online casino gambling in Hungary: legal, requires licence
Gambling is legal and regulated since 1991.
There are 11 casinos throughout Hungary, offering the usual casino games one would expect in Europe (blackjack, roulette, slot machines, poker but not sports betting or lottery-like games). Most of the 17 million tourists (80%) only visit Budapest, the capital (3 million residents in metro), and unsurprisingly 5 of the 11 licensed, currently operating casinos are located there.
UPDATE COVID-19: Many of them were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but none of them were permanently closed.
Slot halls are no longer legal since 2012.
Operating an online casino is legal too if the operator acquires the proper license. However, only land-based casino operators can operate online gambling websites, partnering with foreign companies is possible.
Online casinos are also legal in Hungary. However, there are a few licensed online casinos.
Unlicensed gambling websites are blocked by the government. However, players are not prosecuted for playing in foreign online casinos (it’s still technically illegal).
The online casinos below accept players from Hungary.
The following online casino websites accept players from Hungary:
For legal reasons we don’t list online casino sites, which would accept Hungarian players.
Bingo in Hungary
Bingo halls in Hungary: legal, monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt.
Online bingo in Hungary: legal, monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt.
Bingo is legal, but it is virtually unknown in Hungary.
There was only one bingo hall in the entire country (Bingó Sugár, opened in 2009) but it closed some time after.
Sometimes local municipalities, hotels or nursing homes organize bingo (this is technically illegal but this is not enforced).
Bingo is considered a lottery-like game in Hungary, and therefore Szerencsejáték Zrt., the national lottery company, has absolute monopoly over all forms bingo and online bingo in Hungary.
Right now Szerencsejáték Zrt. doesn’t have any sort of online bingo game on its platform, which is unusual in the region, most neighbouring countries (e.g.: Romania) have at the very least televised bingo (but they are also similarly .
The following online bingo platforms accept players from Hungary.
The following online gambling websites have live bingo and accept players from Hungary:
It’s a monopoly a Szerencsejáték Zrt., but they don’t offer any right now. No legal online bingo options for Hungarian players.
Poker in Hungary
Poker halls in Hungary: legal, operators require a licence
Online poker in Hungary: legal, operators require a licence, an online casino licence is required
Players from Hungary can play poker (one form or another) in most of the casinos. However, these are usually house banked games, only a few of the bigger casinos have poker rooms for players to play against each other.
Poker clubs are also legal. And there are 4 standalone poker clubs in Hungary, these are:
- Palace Poker Club, 9700 Szombathely, Semmelweis u. 2.
- Texas Poker Club, 5000 Szolnok, Indóház út 15.
- Duna Poker Budapest, 1138 Budapest, Váci út 178. – Duna Pláza I. emelet
- Big Cash Poker Club Nyiregyháza, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Szarvas u. 52.
The biggest poker tournament is probably the Budapest Poker Open.
Video poker machines are also legal.
Online poker is legal as well. However, online poker licenses are not issued, an online casino licence is required.
Unlicensed gambling websites are blocked by the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary. However, players from Hungary, are not prosecuted for playing in unlicensed poker networks.
The online poker sites below accept players from Hungary.
The following online casinos have poker and accept players from Hungary:
None of the licensed Hungarian online casinos have poker currently.
Sports betting in Hungary
Bookmakers, betting shops in Hungary: legal, monopoly of Tippmix
Online sports betting in Hungary: legal, monopoly of Tippmix
Sports betting is really popular in Hungary (but only betting on football, horse racing betting is not popular), and there are betting shops everywhere (these betting shops sell lottery tickets and scratchcards as well).
Sports betting and online sports betting is the monopoly of the state-run Szerencsejáték Zrt.. The company’s subsidiary, Tippmix handles sports betting and online sports betting, except horse racing betting.
Horse racing betting is goes by the brand name Kincsem (meaning “my treasure”, named after a famous and very successful horse, which won many races), and it is exclusively conducted by the Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-szervező Kft..
Horse racing betting is slowly dying in Hungary, just like in every other European country btw., barely any market share, run-down and barely any horse racing betting offices (although betting shops also act as one), not many people visiting the horse races, and no online horse racing betting.
Online sports betting is also legal, and it is also a monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt..
Foreign online sportsbooks can not enter the Hungarian market*, for now it is strictly the monopoly of Tippmix.
The government blocks foreign, unlicensed bookmakers, but punters from Hungary are not prosecuted for placing bets with them.
E-sports and fantasy football betting is not regulated separately in Hungary, they are considered a form of sports betting, and therefore they are also the monopoly of the national lottery.
The online sportsbooks below accept registrations from Hungary.
* CalvinAyre – Hungary proposes end to Online Sports Betting Monopoly
The following online sportsbooks accept bettors from Hungary:
Monopoly of Tippmix.
Lottery in Hungary
Lottery in Hungary: legal, state monopoly
Online lottery in Hungary: legal, state monopoly
Lottery is legal in Hungary, and it is the monopoly of the state-owned Szerencsejáték Zrt.. The company offers many types of lottery and lottery-like games, e.g.: Keno, 6-os Lottó, 5-ös Lottó, and Skandináv Lottó, scratchcards, and more.
Players from Hungary can purchase lottery tickets online too. Hungary is also one of the participating countries in the European lottery, Eurojackpot (but not Euromillions).
Hungarian players can also participate in foreign lottery draws, in person, as a tourist, visiting other countries, that is not illegal.
The following websites let people from Hungary purchase lottery tickets online.
The following internet lottery sites accept players from Hungary:
It’s a monopoly of Szerencsejáték Zrt.
Bitcoin wagering in Hungary
Cryptocurrency gambling in Hungary: not specifically regulated
Bitcoin and other alternative digital currencies are not illegal in Hungary, but they are also not considered legal tender (they are taxable commodities, 15% personal income tax applies to bitcoin from 2021).
Because virtual currencies are legal tender, that’s why none of Hungarian land-based casinos accept them.
Hungary licensed online casinos on the other hand can accept crypto through the use of payment processors (payment process are third-party entities not registered in Hungary e.g.: Neteller, Skrill).
The following online casinos accept bitcoin and players from Hungary.
The following online casinos accept cryptocurrencies and players from Hungary:
vegas.hu through Neteller (restrictions of Neteller apply, not available in every country)
grandcasino.hu, (no idea, if you know if they accept crypto please let me know in the comments section)
If you have questions or any feedback don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Please let me know in the comments section if you think we might have gotten something wrong or if you have additional information, clarification about the legal status of online gambling in this country, especially if you are from Hungary or nearby.
This page is part of Simon’s List – Legal Status of Online Gambling – a definitive guide to the legal status of all forms of online gambling activities in every country around the world.
FAQ – frequently asked questions about Hungary internet gambling platforms
FAQ section The following are some of the frequently asked questions about gambling in Hungary. Click on the dropdown menu below to see the questions and answers. Q&A
Yes, gambling is legal in Hungary.
Yes, online gambling is legal in Hungary.
Yes, online bingo is legal in Hungary.
Yes, online poker is legal in Hungary.
Yes, online sports betting is legal in Hungary.
Yes, online lottery is legal in Hungary.
Cryptocurrency gambling is not specifically regulated in Hungary, but you can place bets using virtual currencies.
Yes, you can play online from Hungary on the following online gambling websites.
No, currently there are no Hungarian online bingo platforms.
No, currently there aren't any poker websites licensed n Hungary.
Yes, you can place bets on sports from Hungary with the digital bookmakers above.
Yes, you can buy lottery tickets on the platform of Szerencsejáték Zrt..
No, none of the gambling websites licensed in Hungary accept cryptocurrencies.
The websites mentioned on this page are all licensed, legally operating digital gambling sites, which accept players from Hungary.
You can use any of the mobile apps of the gaming platforms on this website.
There aren1't any Hungarian online bingo sites currently.
None of the licensed online casinos have poker currently.
Szerencsejáték Zrt.'s wagering and betting websites Totó is the only legally operating sports betting website in Hungary.
Only Szerencsejáték Zrt.'s Lottó is available legally to Hungarian lottery players.
The gambling websites listed on this webpage are all in possession of a Hungary online gambling and/or betting license. That is why they can legally accept players from the country. Only licensed gambling websites can accept players from Hungary
None, none of licensed gambling websites accept any kind of alternative digital currencies. Is gambling legal in Hungary?
Is online gambling legal in Hungary?
Is online bingo legal in Hungary?
Is online poker legal in Hungary?
Is online sports betting legal in Hungary?
Is online lottery legal in Hungary?
Is bitcoin wagering legal in Hungary?
Can you play online from Hungary?
Can you play bingo over the internet in Hungary?
Can you play poker online from Hungary?
Can you bet on sports online from Hungary?
Can you purchase lottery tickets online in Hungary?
Can you use bitcoin wagering websites in Hungary?
Are there gambling websites, which accept players from Hungary?
Which internet gambling apps can I use from Hungary?
Which online bingo sites accept players from Hungary?
Which online poker website accepts players from Hungary?
Which online sportsbooks accept bettors from Hungary?
Which online lotteries accept registrations from Hungary?
Which internet gambling platforms have a Hungary license?
Which crypto gambling platforms accept players from Hungary?
Last updated: 2023-01-30
Gamble responsibly,
SimonTheSorcerer
Last Updated on 2023-01-30 by Simon
 That's me, Simon, thank you for visiting. I'm an independent gambling blogger since 2012. In this sector dominated by huge media companies, casino operators and online marketing networks, who can easily spend $ millions on their online gambling blogs, it's not easy for an independent nobody like me to survive. It took me about 6 years, working my ass off, to even have a chance to be noticed by visitors like you. I'm lucky enough that for a few years now, I make enough money to be able to do this full time (before that, I had part-time jobs, ghost writing gigs, online marketing this and that). Now I can finally do this full time, thanks to visitors like you! And it means a lot! If you are interested, please bookmark this site (no social media profiles, I no longer have any, but please feel free to share anything on any social media networks, if you still use them). I don't have any money to advertise, and if you have a personal blog, any social media profile, please mention my gambling blog and link back to it. This the only way for a small website like this to grow. Thank you! |
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Can a foreigner play scrtachcarss or lottery in hungary?
Yes, by all means. You can even register at their website too szerencsejatek.hu if you have a temporary Hungarian residence, but if you don’t, then you need to go to a betting shop in person and they will help you. You will need need some sort of gambling card which you can get there, with that you will be able to use the online platform. Keep in mind most betting shop clerks don”t speak very good English, and they are very dumb usually, so look it up on the website first, otherwise they won’t know what is that you are looking for and you won’t be able to tell them. This is what you need, show them this: https://bet.szerencsejatek.hu/jatekoskartya).
Hi Simon,
Regarding Online sports betting: 15% of net gambling revenue. This 15% has to be paid monthly or annually?
Thank you in advance.
Sorry, that was incorrect, I fixed that. That’s 15% of winnings paid out, 15% each time someone wins something. Also, sports betting and online sports betting are a monopoly of the state owned Szerencsejáték Zrt.