The Growth of iGaming in Hungary

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Hungary might be a small country of 10 million dwellers. But it has a thriving iGaming industry and a government doing its best to improve its betting laws.

Earlier this year, Hungary relaxed its strict gambling rules by inviting casinos based in the EU to apply for local licensing. It also lifted a ban that previously prohibited unlicensed casinos from accepting bets from Hungarians.

Why is Hungary suddenly showing interest in the iGaming sector? Why is the demand for online betting rising in the Central European nation?

Pressure from the EU

For a long time, Hungary had restrictive gambling laws. It allowed casino gaming through a handful of brick-and-mortar casinos. On the other hand, Games of Chance cPLC—a government-owned corporation—controlled sports betting, bingo, the lottery, and online sports betting.

In 2017, negotiations between Hungary and the EU forced Hungary to create a licensing system for foreign casinos and sportsbooks. Under the new rules, foreign betting sites can operate in Hungary for as long as they acquired local licensing.

At least two online casinos opened in Hungary in 2017—LVC Diamond and Grand Casino—the second casino is owned by a Curacao-based operator.

Commercialized Betting Sites

Until this year, Games of Chance cPLC had the sole rights to provide sports betting in Hungary. The government ended its monopoly on 1^st January this year, marking a new beginning for commercialized gambling in the country.

Under the new laws, betting sites based in the EU can operate in Hungary after they acquire proper licensing. Unfortunately, Hungary is full of bureaucracy when it comes to legalizing online casinos.

Although it has the power to welcome more casino sites, it requires them to own a local brick-and-mortar casino. This makes it difficult for online casinos to expand their services to Hungary legally.

And considering Hungary no longer blocks the ISP addresses of foreign casinos and sportsbooks, many of them accept Hungarian players. Of course, not all foreign gambling sites can be trusted. Join safe and licensed operators.

Access to Safe Offshore Casinos

After Hungary stopped banning foreign casinos, the demand for offshore gambling sites skyrocketed. The explanation is simple. Malta and Curacao-based casinos provide high-quality gaming.

They’re mobile-friendly, packed with hundreds of games, and generous with bonuses. At the best Bitcoin casino bonus sites, you can receive an offer worth up to 5BTC. And there are more promotions for loyal players.

Of course, bonuses aren’t limited to crypto casinos. If you would rather use PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard, you also qualify for casino rewards. The only catch is that you won’t get as many rewards as someone who uses top crypto sites.

Bonuses aside, foreign casinos operating in Hungary are safe. They hold genuine licenses from Curacao or Malta. Additionally, they encrypt your data to protect it from hackers. They help secure your accounts with passwords and keep your data secure.

Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming has been growing steadily in the past decade all over the world. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a big reason for the increased popularity of iGaming in Hungary.

According to Statista, Hungarians own 11 million mobile devices—more than the country’s entire population. Up to 72% of the country is on social media. On the other hand, Hungarians who gamble online primarily rely on their smartphones.

Luckily, mobile casino gaming is efficient. You can play mobile slots and poker on any smartphone with Internet access and a mobile browser. When it comes to banking, all you need is to have money in your favorite payment app.

Choose a casino that accepts deposits through your favorite bank. Select banking apps with free, quick payments. Also, make sure you qualify for a bonus when you use your preferred deposit method.

A Full Range of Games

In 2017, Ezugi and Finnplay signed up to provide slots and table games to LVC Diamond—the first online casino in Hungary. Although these two developers provide great games, they have small libraries.

Most Hungarians have been using offshore casinos since 2017 for one good reason. Offshore sites provide a lot more games. Usually, these casinos have 500+ slots and table games.

The games come from top-tier software providers, from NetEnt and Evolution to Microgaming and BTG. The beauty of accessing a wide range of games is that you have numerous options.

If you like Megaways slots, you can play dozens of Megaways games from BTG, Blueprint Gaming, and Pragmatic Play. If you like jackpot games, you can play slots like Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune.

Foreign casinos also tend to offer better live dealer games. They work with Evolution—the world’s biggest supplier of live casinos. Some of them also feature games from Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, and Ezugi.

A Wide Variety of Payment Methods

Hungary prohibits local banks from processing payments to foreign gambling sites. Luckily, no one uses wire transfers for casino deposits anymore. Hungarians can use dozens of payment options:

• Crypto
• Digital Wallets
• Credit/debit Cards

Crypto is a globally accepted payment method. Some casinos actually only accept Bitcoin and Ethereum. As we mentioned earlier, these sites can be magnanimous with their rewards.

If you’re not into crypto, there’s always the option to use digital wallets like PayPal, Google Pay, Skrill, and Neteller. Another option is to use your Visa or MasterCard. Many casinos have a way of ensuring your bank does not reject payments to gambling sites—they use account names not related to gambling.

As we stated, payment methods aren’t created equal. They differ in their speed, fees, and limits. Choose a banking option with favorable features—low fees, quick payments, and high limits for high rollers.

The Future of iGaming in Hungary

Hungary’s online gambling industry exploded in 2017 after the country relaxed some of its betting laws. Many Hungarians have always wanted to gamble online. But they didn’t have access to safe casinos.

Now, they can bet through home-based casino sites. Or, they can use foreign licensed casinos. In the future, Hungary will likely make it easier for overseas-based sites to operate in the country. But in the meanwhile, offshore sites are the most popular betting options for Hungarians.