Hungary is a smaller European country, with a population of 10 million. The country is a member of the European Union (EU), and while it is geographically located in Central Europe, it is considered an Eastern European country both culturally and economically. Before the global pandemic, the country recorded about 17 million tourist visits per year. This is quite a high number for an Eastern European country, and it is certainly a factor that also affects the gambling industry in Hungary.
Gambling was legalized back in 1991, under the Law on Organizing Gambling Activates. Prior to that period, Hungary was a part of the Soviet Union, which had deemed most forms of gambling illegal. Nowadays, sports betting, along with other variations of gambling, is monopolized by the Szerencsejáték Zrt (Games of Chance cPLC).
Currently, the only forms of gambling that are available to the private sector include land-based casino and online casino services. As of 2012, only licensed casinos, betting shops owned by the state, and horse racing betting offices owned by the Games of Chance cPLC can offer offline gambling services. Some shops are also authorized to distribute scratchcards.
Legalities of Online Sports Betting in Hungary
Historical Betting Overview
As mentioned above, during the Cold War period, Hungary was under the strict rule of the Soviet Union, with gambling being strictly forbidden in the USSR. The outright ban of gambling activities was the reason for the birth of a huge underground black market that was overseen by a number of illegal organizations.
Following the fall of Soviet rule, Hungary was one of the first former Soviet countries to legalize gambling. While gambling was decriminalized under a law that passed in 1991, the piece of legislation noted that all forms of sports betting must be conducted by a state-owned company. The monopoly on the gambling sector was established, with the national lottery (Szerencsejáték Zrt) being in charge of running sports betting and other gambling markets.
Up until 1998, punters in Hungary were allowed to place sports betting wagers only at designated bookmakers located on the high street. With the launch of its first websites, Szerencsejáték Zrt put the start of online betting for sports fans in Hungary. Until this day, this is still the only truly legal sportsbook that caters to the wagering needs of bettors who reside in Hungary.
Even after Hungary joined the EU in 2004, offshore operators were still not allowed to accept punters from the country. What is more, the Hungarian government implemented strict restrictions, requiring local banks to block transactions from offshore gambling companies. After several years of both domestic and international pressure, the Hungarian government finally allows foreign companies to offer their gambling services to punters located in Hungary. This, however, came with a hefty sum of $440,000 that offshore operators need to pay if they want to provide sports betting to Hungarian punters.
Even though foreign companies can now legally offer sports betting to individuals residing in Hungary, the country is still taking extra steps to block offshore websites or prevent them from operating in the country by imposing huge taxes. That said, the betting market in Hungary continues to grow, offering bettors even more options.
What You Need to Know About Sports Betting in Hungary
Before punters go for betting on sports, the first thing they should do is examine the gambling-related legislation in greater detail. When Hungary is concerned, gambling has a long history in the country, and as it was already mentioned, up until 2013, Szerencsejáték Zrt was the operator, which dominated the market.
Things quickly started to change after Hungary become a member of the EU, and overseas operators started to take steps in order to penetrate the untapped market. Before that time, the attempts of offshore operators to accommodate punters from the country were largely staved off, and the country even took legal action against one of the sports betting platforms.
The significant changes in the law that were brought about back in 2011 and 2013 determine the current gambling landscape in Hungary. In order for sports betting platforms to operate on the Hungarian market, they are required to apply for a stamp of approval from the Gambling Authority. Currently, although severely restricted, online betting on sports is legal in Hungary. Interestingly enough, the first licensed virtual casino in the country admitted its first users back in 2017.
In spite of the fact that getting started with their real-money bets is rather easy for gambling enthusiasts, the same cannot be said about operators. The licensing condition, coupled with the exorbitant fees make many operators frown upon the idea to apply for a seal of approval in order to cater to the market. As a result, the number of licensed operators is now quite limited.
It is important to note that the gambling-related legislation of the country applies to all operators, no matter if it comes to home-based sports betting platforms or overseas ones. The gambling-related legislation of the country envisages sanctions for operators that offer their services without the approval of the Gambling Authority, and the maximum fine they might face is €300,000. When it comes to offline gambling, all devices, and gambling-related materials will be confiscated, while online betting platforms will be added to the list of the blacklisted operators.
A fine is also imposed for the marketing of operators that do not abide by the regulations in the country, and the maximum penalty they might face is €30,000.
An important thing gambling enthusiasts should be aware of is that while sports betting falls under the oversight of the Gambling Authority of the country, online and offline betting on fantasy sports and eSports are not regulated separately.
Odds Format in Hungary
Normally, Hungary-friendly sportsbooks are looking to measure up to the requirements of all gambling enthusiasts, and in view of this, they support all three main offs formats, including decimal, fractional, and American odds. That being said, for the most part, sports bettors from Hungary tend to settle on decimal odds.
What makes most sports bettors avoid fractional odds is that working out the profit they will get if their bet becomes a winning one involves some calculations. As for American odds, some confusion might stem from the fact that the prices for the favorite are displayed with a negative sign, while the odds for the underdog are displayed using a positive sign.
The simplicity of decimal odds is what makes many punters go for it, as a single glance at the lines is what it takes to determine which bookie offers better lines for the event they prefer to bet on. As the name of this odds format hints, prices are displayed using decimals, and look like this 1.37 and 1.86, for example.
To find out what their profit will be, gambling enthusiasts will be required to multiply the amount they are about to stake by the value of the odds they see. Thus, if we assume that they prefer to stake €10 and the odds are 1.86, the return they will be in for will be €18.60.
Hungary Betting Laws and Legislation
The introduction of Act XXXIV back in 1991, is a momentous event in the development of the gambling industry of Hungary as lawmakers turned the legality of gambling on their heads. The Gambling Act provides a description of games of chance, more details on the authorization, advertisement, and taxation of gambling services, as well as the procedure operators need to abide by while offering their products.
The introduction of the Act on National Assets has caused resentment among operators as under its provisions, gambling services can only be offered by domestic operators, and lawmakers grounded this step with their effort to preserve national wealth.
Back in 2008, the Advertising Act was given the nod, and its purpose was to introduce clear-cut rules when it comes to the marketing of gambling operators.
A turning point in the development of the gambling industry of Hungary was indeed the introduction of a completely new licensing system back in 2013 and 2014. Overseas operators were not satisfied that the state-run Szerencsejáték Zrt has a monopoly when lotteries, offline, and online betting on sports are concerned. Additionally, the state had a monopoly also when betting on horse races is concerned, and such activities were only offered by Magyar Lóversenyfogadást-szervező.
Under the provisions of the Gambling Act, the number of brick-and-mortar casinos is limited to 12, while online casinos are only available through the concession holders of the 12 land-based casinos.
All these restrictions made many operators contest the licensing regime Hungary introduced before the Court of Justice of the EU, as well as before the national courts. What makes the situation in the country extraordinary is that all forms of gambling are clearly addressed in the Hungarian legislation but the national laws do not conform with the laws of the European Union.
The gambling licensing regime of the country undergoes re-regulation because of the discrepancies between the Hungarian gambling legislation and the EU laws. In fact, Hungarian courts have come to the conclusion that no sanctions can be imposed when unauthorized online gambling is concerned.
The rate of gambling taxation is also clearly determined, and when it comes to bookmaking, this rate is 20% of the net gambling revenue, without taking into consideration the invalid bets.
Hungary Betting Restrictions
As we explained already, gambling activities that are pursued without the needed Hungarian seal of approval are illegal on the territory of the country, and betting platforms that have already been identified to infringe the law are added to a blacklist. An ISP blocking system is in place in order to detect these betting sites and prevent them from accomodating users from the country.
The country decided to introduce stricter control when it comes to unlicensed sports betting platforms and voiced its intentions to introduce a blocking system for payments. The system will affect all sports betting platforms that operate without a stamp of approval from the Gambling Supervisory Authority of the country, and has to do with bank transfers, card payments as well as payment contracts with such operators.
While bank transfers will be curbed on the basis of the created blacklist, card payments will be staved off on the basis of the country code, as well as the MCC code. Yet, payment blocking is an idea, which is yet to be realized.
Online Betting Regulatory Body in Hungary
The regulatory body, which is tasked with the oversight of the gambling sector in Hungary is the Gaming Supervision Authority. This is the entity, which regulates online and offline forms of gambling in the country, and its responsibilities include supervision, licensing, and penalizing operators and those who are found to breach the gambling-related laws.
The forms of gambling that fall under the oversight of the Gambling Authority include poker, bingo, sports betting, betting on fantasy sports on the condition that a monetary prize is awarded, and lotteries.
The minister without Portfolio for Development of Public Assets, on the other hand, has taken it upon herself to deal with all gambling-related issues, along with such that have to do with concessions. The National Media and Infocommunication Authority also plays a role when sports betting in Hungary is concerned as its function is to block the infringing information.
Popular Betting Markets in Hungary
When Hungarian punters are on the lookout for a sportsbook to register for an account with, the sports coverage is one of the areas they tend to put great stress on the variety of events they can bet on.
It is unlikely to come as a surprise that football is the sport, which attracts the greatest betting action and viewership in the country. The National Championship of the country is the most closely followed domestic competition by Hungarians, but international competitions, the likes of the UEFA National League, European Championship, Champions League, and FIFA World Cup, are also not off the radar of punters.
Another sport Hungarians are fond of is basketball, and gambling enthusiasts are not only interested in the Hungarian National League, but in internationally held competitions, the likes of the NBA, EuroLeague, FIBA International Cup, and others.
Handball poses as another betting option many Hungarian punters are interested in. The men’s and women’s teams have taken many honors throughout the years, and the country has hosted dozens of tournaments that attract lots of attention. Some of the international competitions Hungarians follow closely include EHF European League, World Women’s Handball Championship, and IHF Super Globe, to name a few.
Ice Hockey is also an attention-grabbing sport in Hungary, and the betting action and overwhelming viewership such events enjoy go to show this beyond doubt. The men’s national team has taken part in a number of competitions, including the Olympic Games, IIHF World Hockey Championships, and IIHF European Championships.
In spite of the fact that Hungary has not been so highly successful during volleyball competitions, this sport keeps many punters from the country interested. Hungarians do not only enjoy watching and playing volleyball, but betting on this sport as well, and the competitions they tend to look forward to are European Volleyball League, PlusLiga, Men and Women World Championship, and others.
Water-based sports are also hugely popular on Hungarian ground, and as it turns out, people from the country are most proud of their achievements in water polo. In fact, the National Men’s Water Polo team is celebrated as a top power on a global scale as it has 88 titles in total, including such from the Olympics, FINA World Cup, and European Championship.
Betting on eSports has started to gain much traction in many countries around the globe, Hungary included. The competitions punters are usually interested in include Dota 2, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike.
These are not all sports gambling enthusiasts from Hungary enjoy betting on as table tennis, motorsports, and athletics, among others, also attract a great deal of attention.
Popular Betting Markets in Hungary Summary | |
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Sport | Leagues |
Football | FIFA World Cup, Premier League, Seria A, La Liga, Bundesliga, and UEFA Champions League |
Basketball | The NBA, Hungarian National League, EuroLeague, and FIBA International Cup |
Water Polo | FINA World Cup and European Championship |
Volleyball | PlusLiga, European Volleyball League, and Men and Women World Championship |
Motorsports | Formula 1, WRC, Supercard Championship, and Superbike World Championship |
Hungary Online Betting Bonuses
In spite of the state monopoly on sports betting, Hungarian punters will still find a number of betting platforms that are welcoming to them and even accept payments in Hungarian forints. With most sports betting platforms that are friendly to residents of the country, punters should expect to see extensive sports and events coverage, benefit from play on the go, as well as a plethora of bonuses incentives.
Usually, once punters join the community of the preferred sports betting platform, they will be treated with a sign-up deal, which is designed to give them a feel for the offered services. In most cases, such deals come in the form of deposit matches, and what Hungarian punters are most likely to be in for is a match bonus in the range of 100%. Naturally, the ceiling on the bonus amount gambling enthusiasts can get varies significantly from one bookie to another.
Free bets are among the most preferred promotional deals by Hungarian punters, and while some bookies prefer to give such bonuses upon registration, others offer them regularly. Based on the sports betting platform punters are using, they might be required to use up the free bet bonus at once or only on specific events. Additionally, there might be limitations in terms of the odds at which punters can use the bonus funds.
Reduced juice or enhanced odds are also among the special incentives Hungary-friendly sportsbooks tend to add to the schedule. With the latter, punters will benefit from better prices on specific events, while going for reduced juice means that the bookie will charge a smaller commission on the bets they place.
Reload bonuses are also widely available in the Hungary-oriented betting sites, and as their implies, such incentives are activated after punters make a deposit. In spite of the fact that they have a lot in common with deposit matches, reload bonuses usually offer less bonus cash. Other rewards punters should check for include refer-a-friend and rebates. The latter bonus type is well-liked by punters because it allows them to get back some of the funds they have lost. Yet, they should take into account that in most cases, the ceiling on the funds they can get back might be in the range of €30.
No matter what promotional deal Hungarian punters are about to redeem, the wagering requirements it goes together with are one of the first things to look at. What they should pay close attention to is whether the rollover requirements apply exclusively to the bonus amount or the bonus and deposit amounts. Of course, they should also make sure that the turnover requirements are not too steep to fulfill.
Mobile Betting in Hungary
Under the gambling-related laws and regulations in Hungary, online gambling is both regulated and accepted. As we explained already, the legislation of the country makes no difference in terms of the registered seat of the sports betting platform, and operators need to abide by the rules if their services are accessible through Hungarian IP addresses.
To stay relevant these days, Hungary-facing operators go out of their way to provide their users with full access to their platforms, no matter the time or the place. As most Hungarians have a busy daily routine and are always in motion, it is natural that they do not want to face any hurdles when they want to bet on sports.
Gaming operators are perfectly aware of this, and to meet the growing demand, they make sure that their betting platforms are accessible either through dedicated apps or browser-based ones. No matter which option gambling enthusiasts will be offered to load the chosen sports betting platform, they can be fully confident that they will have all betting options available to desktop users at their fingertips.
Most of the time, once punters access the full-scale version of the chosen sportsbook on their tablet or smartphone, they will get to benefit from a number of features, including in-game betting, live results, bet-builder, and cash-out feature, among others. Of course, the availability of these only depends on the Hungary-friendly sportsbook punters have chosen to bet at.
Aside from the same range of sports and events punters can bet on, they will also not miss out on the prices that are offered at the desktop version of the sportsbook. The same also applies to the available bonus deals, and all the better, some operators tend to offer tailor-made bonus deals for Hungarians who are more into mobile play.
In addition to the instant access to their sports and events of choice, Hungarians also insist on instant and commission-free payments and a variety of banking solutions that are available within the country.
Naturally, the security of the sports betting platform is also among the areas operators need to excel in as mobile bettors want to have the full confidence that the used safety measures are up on scratch.
Popular Betting Banking Methods in Hungary
Punters who are actively looking for a Hungary-friendly sportsbook will have a lot of choices but should not jump into registering for an account at the preferred sportsbook without looking into the accepted banking methods. Most of the time, while punters are registering for an account, the currency they will be allowed to handle their payments in will be EUR, but there is a huge number of sports betting platforms where HUF is also available.
One of the easiest ways to tell the good Hungary-facing sports betting platforms from the rest of the websites is to check how easy it is to handle your funds. In spite of the proposed legislative changes that aim at blocking unauthorized overseas operators that accommodate Hungarians, punters can still use their Mastercard, Visa, or Maestro-branded credit or debit card whenever they feel like adding some funds to their balance.
If punters want to ensure that their transactions will go through or simply do not want to lay bare their banking details, digital wallets might be the payment processors that will measure up to their requirements. Skrill and Neteller are the most widely accessible e-wallets at Hungary-facing sports betting sites, but PayPal, ecoPayz, and MuchBetter are also digital wallets many punters lean towards using.
Using Paysafecard as a deposit option is possible at a large number of Hungary-friendly sports betting platforms, and the prepaid vouchers are so frequently used because of the instant processing times and affordability. The only disadvantage the usage of Paysafecard results in is that punters will be required to pick another payment processor to get their winnings off the chosen bookie. The fact that punters will be allowed to transfer smaller amounts is not to be overlooked as well.
Bank transfers are among the options no sports betting platform goes without, and in most cases, punters can use them for deposits and cashouts. Yet, the fees that might incur, together with the longer processing times are the two major lacking points of this payment method.
The availability of these banking solutions varies substantially between the Hungary-facing sports betting platforms. The transaction limits also differ noticeably between the sports betting platforms, and together with the speed at which payments are carried out and the availability of fees are among the most essential things punters should always look into.
Popular Banking Methods in Greece | |||||
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Payment Method | Fees | Deposit Limits | Deposit Times | Withdrawal Limits | Withdrawal Times |
Visa | Varies | Min €10 – Max €30,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €20,000 | Between 1 and 3 business days |
Mastercard | Varies | Min €10 – Max €30,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €20,000 | Between 1 and 3 business days |
Maestro | Varies | Min €10 – Max €30,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €20,000 | Between 1 and 3 business days |
Skrill | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Several hours |
Neteller | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Several hours |
ecoPayz | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €1,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Several hours |
Jeton | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Up to two days |
MuchBetter | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €100,000 | Several hours |
MiFinity | Commission-ffree | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | Min €20 – Max €10,000 | Between 1 and 2 days |
PayPal | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €5,000 | Up to several hours |
Apple Pay | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €10,000 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
Paysafecard | Commission-free | Min €10 – Max €1,000 | Instant | N/A | N/A |
Bank Transfer | Varies | Min €20 – Max €50,000 | Instant | Min €10 – Max €100,000 | Between 3 and 5 working days |
What to Watch for When Picking Hungary Betting Site
Picking a sports betting site to bet at might seem like an easy task but finding a bookmaker that cuts the mustard takes some time and involves making research. There are several touchstones of all Hungary-oriented sportsbooks that are up to the mark, and the security measures in place, together with the trustability of the operator are among the aspects gambling enthusiasts should not compromise on.
The sports that are implemented into the agenda of the sportsbook, along with the market variety will have a major impact on the betting experience of punters, and, because of this, they should always make sure that all sports they might be interested in are available. The competitiveness of the prices is easily not insignificant and is among the things that must be checked right off. The available odds formats, together with the betting features punters can make use of are also among the things proper interactive sportsbooks have in common. Live streaming, in-game betting, cash-out feature, and bet builder are only some of the weighty features punters normally look for.
Looking through the bonus schedule of the operator is something that does not slip into the memory of most punters. Of course, gambling enthusiasts should not focus exclusively on the bonus incentives that are triggered upon registration but the recurring special deals as well to ensure that they will be able to get extra value for their deposits whenever they wish.
Just like gambling enthusiasts from other parts of the globe, Hungarian punters also prefer sports betting platforms that are geared towards the needs of mobile users. Using the platform on the go should be made quick and hassle-free either through dedicated apps for iOS and Android or through browser-based apps.
While picking a sports betting platform, punters should devote greater attention to the accepted currencies, payment methods, processing times, as well as whether fees are charged on the part of the operator.
When gambling enthusiasts are trying to pick a sportsbook to bet at, they should always evaluate the performance of the customer support hosts and look into the channels of communication the sportsbook offers.