Crypto Casino
Torrent Gear
From 2023, the market is open to private companies
Introduction: From monopoly to regulated competition
From 1 January 2023, Hungary moved from a de facto monopoly in online betting to a model of regulated competition. Now private companies from the EU/EEA can apply for a local license for remote sports betting if they meet the high requirements for experience, capital and compliance systems. At the same time, the vertical of online casinos remains closed to "pure" online players: only holders of land concessions can deal with it.
What exactly opened in 2023
Online sports betting: licensed for private operators from the EU/EEA.
Online casinos: Available only to companies that already have a land-based casino concession in Hungary (there is no separate "online casino license" for third parties).
Offline verticals (casinos, bingo, lotteries): continue to work in the previous models of licenses/concessions.
Entry threshold: who is allowed and under what conditions
Jurisdiction and experience
EU/EEA legal entity.
Proven long-term experience in licensed online gambling (usually from 5 years).
Finance & Presence
Branch/representative office in Hungary.
Significant share capital and regulatory threshold financial collateral/guarantees.
Compliance and technical readiness
Full KYC/AML loop, source assessment procedures, transaction monitoring.
Responsible Gaming (RG): deposit/time limits, "time out," self-exclusion, age control 18 +.
Technical requirements for live reliability, data protection (GDPR), logs and RNG/platform audit.
Respectability
Lack of work "for Hungarian clients" without a local license in the recent past.
Transparent ownership structure and management procedures.
Regulator role and control mechanism
Supervision is carried out by SZTFH (Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs). Is he:- issues licenses for remote bets;
- approve and verify compliance with technical standards;
- conducts extraterritorial control: if the product is available from Hungary, local standards apply to it;
- uses blocking of unlicensed sites and restriction of payment channels;
- monitors advertising and the work of affiliates.
Taxes and fees (at principle level)
Online betting: benchmark 15% of GGR (gross gaming revenue) + supervisory/admin. payments under the regulations.
Casino/online casino: a benchmark of about 30% of GGR with a threshold progression to large volumes (for concessionaires).
Separate rules apply for lotteries/bingo (can be considered not from GGR, but from the prize pool/revenue).
Additionally - corporate tax and supervisory fees.
Advertising and communications: "tough, but understandable"
Strict age barriers, prohibition of targeting minors.
Mandatory RG disclaimers and no "win guarantees."
Clear bonus conditions without "small print" and dark UX patterns.
Liability also applies to affiliates: partner sites are required to comply with the same standards.
Payments and KYC: what is important in practice
Instant deposits and transparent payment statuses (SLAs) are key competitive factors.
KYC - minimum before withdrawal, extended at increased risk (source of funds, additional documents).
Preference for licensed PSPs that meet central bank requirements and AML regulations.
Product expectations: how private operators benefit
Deep live and coefficient speed (low latency, stable sockets, fast coupon).
Content localization: painting on Hungarian leagues, special markets, content hubs with analytics.
Mobile UX: cold start ≤ 2 s, simple biometrics/Passkeys, convenient limits and an RG panel.
Payment service: transparent conditions, predictable terms, understandable statuses in the application.
License Applicant Checklist (Brief)
1. EU/EEA legal model + proven experience ≥ 5 years.
2. Branch in Hungary, authorized capital and security for requirements.
3. Full KYC/AML/RG package (policies, procedures, trained commands).
4. Technical readiness: live telemetry, data protection, logs, audit.
5. Marketing contour: approved creative templates, RG messages, affiliate control.
6. Payments: PSP contracts, payment SLAs, real-time statuses.
7. Reporting and taxes: GGR methods, exchange rate procedures, preparation for inspections.
What remains closed and where are the boundaries
Online casinos for "clean" private online operators are still closed: the vertical is available only to land concession holders.
Offline rates and lottery formats - within the framework of traditional schemes and own permissions.
Risks and how to remove them
Load peaks (derby/playoffs): stress tests, CDN/edge, degradation plan (coefficients → live text → pause).
Reputation of payments: public SLAs, backup payment channels, proactive notifications.
Advertising/affiliates: preliminary legal-review, whitelists of sites, audit of affiliate materials.
RG incidents: on-device pause reminders, soft stop factors, quick help line.
Roadmap 2025-2030 (realistic)
Deepening competition precisely in the speed of live, reliability of payments and on-device personalization.
Gradual adjustment of SZTFH regulations according to technical requirements and reporting.
Increasing transparency of RG: time/expense panels visible to the player, native limits "in one tap."
Limited overall market growth due to country size, but improved service quality and NPS.
The 2023 liberalization opened Hungary to private EU/EEA operators in the remote sports betting segment, setting a high but understandable entry threshold. You will have to compete not with bonuses "at any cost," but with live speed, transparent payments, strong compliance and a local product. Online casinos remain the privilege of land-based concessionaires, which preserves the market's "hybrid" architecture: open competition in betting under a conservative model for casinos. For players, this means more choice and service quality; for the state - transparency and manageability of the industry.