New Online Gambling Act Passes In Slovakia
By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Dec 7, 2018
Opens market for foreign operators, without the requirement for a Slovakian office
The Slovakian Ministry of Finance announced this week that the national parliament has passed new legislation that opens the online gambling market to foreign operators without the requirement for a Slovakian office presence with effect from March 1 next year.
Operators will, however, be required to have a registered communications representative in-country to liaise with the regulator and government as required.
The cost of a ten-year online betting licence will be Euro 3 million, with a similar amount levied if the operator wishes to offer online casino action. Operators who apply for both will be required to pay a discounted Euro 5 million for a five-year renewable licence.
Licences for online casinos will be issued from July 2019 with applications invited for filing on or after 1 March 2019.
A new regulatory body, the Office for the Regulation of Gambling, will have oversight of the industry, replacing the present arrangement whereby the Ministry of Finance shoulders this responsibility.
The Ministry has warned that operators who were issued with a Blocking Order under the old Gambling Act will remain blocked under the new licensing regime.
Slovakia Adopts New Gambling Law
Applications open March 1, 2019, market opens July 1, 2019
The Slovak Republic’s Parliament has passed a new gambling act that will enable foreign operators to enter the market.
10-Year Licenses will come at a cost of Euro 3 million each for online betting and casino. Combined licensing will cost Euro 5 million for a five-year term and an option to renew.
The newly established Office for Regulation of Gambling will take over the regulatory role from the Ministry of Finance and funded through a 0.7 percent gross gaming revenue tax on lottery operators.
Licensed operators will pay online gaming taxes of 22 percent of GGR.
Operators on the country’s Blacklist, or who have received a Site Blocking Order or an Account Blocking Order under the old Gambling Act will be frozen out of the market for 12 months prior to the date of their licence application.
Infopowa news was a staple of Casinomeister’s news from 2000 until 2019. Brian Cullingworth was the main writer, contributor, and was one of the most knowledgeable persons I have ever known involved in the online casino industry.
We first met in January 2001 at the ICE in London where I observed him going booth to booth interviewing online casino, software, and licensing jurisdiction representatives. Brian was also heavily involved with our forum as “Jetset“, he was involved as an informal consultant to eCOGRA, the OPA, and was a player advocate who assisted countless aggrieved players with his connections to industry folks. He also published “Casino Cautions” via Infopowa news for quite a number of years. These can be found in our news archives.
His passing in February 2019 was a dark day for us. He will be forever missed.
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