Hungary’s new Péter Magyar-led TISZA (Freedom and Reform Party) government will undertake a review of all state-run organisations, including national lottery and sports betting firm Szerencsejáték Zrt.
Last week, Prime Minister Magyar completed the appointments of his senior cabinet to initiate “the TISZA transition”, beginning with committee reviews examining state enterprises, public finances and political influence following 16 years of rule under Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz government.
For gambling, attention turns to the governance of Szerencsejáték Zrt examining the privileges and economic performance of the state-owned firm. Szerencsejáték Zrt, maintains the monopoly over Hungary’s lottery market and controls a dominant share of the country’s retail betting sector.
Finance Minister András Kármán accused the state operator of using revenues for “propaganda purposes” instead of transparently returning profits to the state treasury.
Kármán pledged “corruption-free and transparent management” of public enterprises and confirmed that special sector taxes imposed during the Orbán administration would gradually be phased out.
The comments represent the clearest signal yet that the TISZA government intends to reassess how gambling revenues have been distributed during the Fidesz era, particularly the relationship between state gaming profits, public media financing and politically aligned sponsorship initiatives.
Further pressure may emerge from reforms proposed by incoming Culture and Social Relations Minister Zoltán Tarr, who confirmed that the government will also review public media and cultural financing mechanisms indirectly supported by lottery-generated funds. Tarr stated that the new administration intends to restore “credibility and truthfulness” to Hungary’s public institutions following what he described as years of political interference.
Hungary’s gambling market currently operates under Act XXXIV of 1991 on Gambling Operations, which governs casinos, sports betting, lotteries and online gambling activities. The market is supervised by the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH), led by Dr Marcell Bíró, which oversees licensing, compliance controls, payment supervision and the blocking of illegal operators.
Since 2023, Hungary has formally opened its online sports betting market to operators from the European Economic Area, though the framework remains heavily concession-based and tied to state oversight structures. Market analysts believe the incoming government could now review existing gambling concessions inherited from the Orbán era, while also considering broader competitive expansion within the online betting market.
The financial scale of the sector explains why the debate carries strategic importance. Szerencsejáték Zrt. reported approximately €3.25bn in revenue during 2024, alongside more than 1.1 million registered players and roughly €447m paid in taxes and regulatory contributions. Hungary’s wider gambling market is already estimated to exceed $1.7bn in value, with its online betting activity regarded as one of Central Europe’s fastest-growing gaming segments.
TISZA aims for economic alignment with EU
Though senior TISZA officials have been openly critical of Szerencsejáték Zrt. and its relationship with the former Fidesz administration, the party has yet to detail the precise direction of its gambling reforms. What remains clear is that Szerencsejáték Zrt. continues to represent one of Hungary’s most effective tax-generating state enterprises, making any abrupt dismantling of its position politically and financially unlikely.
The Magyar government may seek to move beyond the cronyism associated with the Orbán era by gradually reshaping Hungary into a more competitive and transparent sports betting and online gambling market open to both domestic and international operators – a doctrine which would align with TISZA’s broader pro-European Union stance.