What is the legal status of online casinos in Hungary?

Online gambling is legal in Hungary, and players can participate in both sports betting and casino gaming without worrying about breaking the law. However, there are rules of how Hungarians should gamble online, and flouting these rules can get you into trouble. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the status of online gambling in Hungary and the laws involved.

Legalized in 2013

After years of stiff pressure from the EU and pro-gambling investors, the government legalized online casinos in 2013. Before then, the only way you could gamble locally was to visit land-based casinos. The number of casinos available before 2013 were also very few.

After 2013, land-based casinos like Las Vegas casino are still popular in the country. They also operate most online casinos in the country because many foreign casinos avoid Hungary in favor of countries with lower taxes. However, there are more gambling options for people who want to play on foreign casino sites.

Unibet, 888 Casino, and Energy casino are some of the best gambling sites for someone wondering about the legality of online casinos in Hungary. This site has a comprehensive guide for the best online casinos for Hungarians. So, shop around and review several websites before you choose the best one.

Games Allowed

Lucky for Hungarian gamblers, the government legalized the entire online casino industry and all of its games. So, whether you want to play slot machines, blackjack or poker—the decision is up to you. Of course, not all casino games are worth playing. But Hungarians make the choices of which games they choose to play.

Gambling experts, however, reveal that the best games are those known to payout frequently. You want a game in which you can win money regularly. After all, that’s a big reason why people risk their money on slot machines.

Another criterion for selecting games is to review their bonus features. Games with numerous bonus features are not only fun to play but they could reward you kindly with their bonuses. Some experts also emphasize on the need to choose reliable online casinos. That way, you’ll be confident the casino can process your profits when you win.

Number of Casino Players

A recent study shows there are nearly four million gamers in Hungary. That represents more than half of adult Hungarians. And while many of the players report to be playing video games, a significant portion of them also play casino games occasionally.

According to data collected by analytic firm Statista, casinos in Hungary earned in excess of $107 million in 2017. By comparison, the industry was worth less than $30 million before online gambling became legal in 2013.

The online casino sector is in Hungary is projected to continue rising in value in the next decade. If the government also improves its laws and taxation policies to attracted foreign companies, Hungary could witness an explosion of online casinos.

Preferred Payment Methods

Hungarian casino players are at liberty to deposit and withdraw their money using multiple payment options. For starters, they can use Visa or MasterCard in nearly all online casinos. They can also use SEPA or individual bank transfer for local gambling sites.

Online payment methods like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller provide even more convenient ways to use online casinos. Unlike credit cards, e-wallets process payments instantly. That means if you cash out your profits, you can get your money on the same day.

Paying using cryptocurrencies has also become an excellent way finance gambling accounts not only for Hungarians but also worldwide. From Bitcoin to Ethereum, XRP to Litecoin, casino players can use just about any cryptocurrency for their payments.

What’s more, the government doesn’t dictate gambling limits to players. Instead, how much you can deposit, bet and cash out per month depends on the rules set by a casino. As such, you could bet as much as €1000 per game on some online casinos.

Mobile Casinos

Not only can you join online casinos in Hungary but you can also play on your mobile device. It’s legal to play slots, bingo or live casino games on your smartphone. In fact, mobile gaming is being dubbed the future of online gaming.

Most people own smartphones these days. And because people spend more time using their phones than their laptops, they are more likely to play mobile games. As a result, online casinos around the world now make it possible to play most games on an android or iOS device.

You don’t have to install an app from Google or Apple mobile stores. You can access the casinos through mobile browsers. Some games, unfortunately, don’t load smoothly on small screens. But players have the choice of playing hundreds of games on their mobile device.

Casino Security and Game Fairness

To protect children, the government demands online casinos not to allow players less than 18 years. It’s a pretty standard policy in nearly all countries. It also requires companies to support gamblers who want to self-exclude themselves due to addiction.

Players can choose to exclude themselves for one, three or 12 months. Hungarian casinos are required to honor the request within 24 hours. They also can’t permit a player to get back to gambling until after seven months if the player excluded himself for one or more years.

Of course casinos can’t operate in the country without valid licenses. In fact, the government also demands companies that want to provide online gambling services in Hungary to have businesses in the country for at least three years. That means acquiring a license to operate in the country is pretty time-consuming and even expensive.

Additionally, gambling sites are expected to provide fair games, to have security licenses and valid ways to solve disputes with players.

To Conclude

It’s legal to play casino online games in Hungary. You can use both mobile and desktop devices to play slots and table games. But for companies that want to run online casinos, the process of acquiring a license can be expensive and tedious.