Hungarian Casinos

Is Gambling Legal in Hungary?

According to the Hungarian history, gambling was first introduced into the country in 1981. This is when the first real casino was set up in the country. Casinos would go on to be set up all over the country and the number had risen to 20 by 1991. In this year, the legislature came up with the Gambling Act which was signed into law. The Act directed that only 11 land-based casinos be set-up in Hungary. This was done and although the establishments were mostly in the capital, Budapest, others were set-up in others states.

The Gambling Act banned online gambling. Players could, therefore, only access their favorite games at the land-based casino. Progress happened and in 2009 the Hungarian legislature lifted the ban on online poker that had been set a couple of years prior. The lift meant that players could enjoy all versions of poker gambling. In 2013, all online games were finally allowed for inclusion in online casinos. The new law was well received by punters and opened for numerous opportunities. But the lift came with some conditions. Only owners of land-based casinos can set up online casinos. The other contentious issue is the fact that the Hungarian gambling scene is a monopoly run by the government-owned Szerencsejatek. Szerencsejatek owns the only two online casinos available online.

Picking an Online Casino

Even with the strict laws, Hungarian players can be able to play at online casinos that have been licensed. These are so many and could leave players quite confused on which one serves their interest the most. Some of these casinos offer free casino games for first time players and players who do not want to spend real money at a casino. There is the option of playing with real money as well.

With the very many online casinos, players are usually left spoilt for choice. But not all casinos are good and not all of them will offer you the kind of satisfaction you require. You can, however, pick a casino after you consider the following factors. These will help advice on the casino that will offer you the very best services.

• A casino has to be registered with a relevant licensing and regulatory body. A casino with a license means that they are answerable to someone and will, therefore, not likely be rogue. Most licenses awarded to casinos are displayed at the bottom of the casino’s interface.
• Players need to sign-up at casinos that offer them convenience. A casino needs to be available in the language that the players understand so they are able to understand the instructions and manage their way around. Most Hungarian online casinos allow players to use English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German as alternative languages.

The currency a casino uses also goes a long way in advising the decision of the punters. Players prefer casinos that operate using the currency they are using. A casino that allows for several currencies to be used while making funds transfers will attract more players. The idea of having to change a currency in order to play at a casino is a put-off.

The convenience of time and place where a player can access their favorite casino has been a growing concern for many punters. Players would like to be entertained even ads they commute home and what better way to achieve this than through the use of handheld devices. With more and more people running their businesses on their mobile phones and tablets, casinos have gotten on the wagon and are now developing mobile casinos with the hope of offering their clients convenience

• Quality of Games. It is true that playing high-quality games greatly influences the experience you get at a casino. Finding a casino that has games developed by gaming developers who are keen on the quality of a game. A casino with developers such as Playtech, Microgaming, Novomatic, Play’n Go are a sure sign of top quality games at the casino.
• Players prefer casinos with a variety of games available. A casino that offers a variety of slots- video slots, classic slots, progressive slots-, table games, video poker, and scratch games among others will be better received than one that has a smaller range of games on offer.
• A casino offering incentives will always rank highly with people. Players like bonuses because they improve their chances of winning and increase their possible wins. They also make them feel appreciated. A casino that offers bonuses to new players, Free spins, loyalty points, and VIP points for high rollers will always attract a bigger following than one without.
• Payment options. A player is always keen on finding a casino that has their preferred mode of making deposits and withdrawals into and from the casino. A casino that has partnered with as many financial institutions as possible will be preferred to one with fewer financial partners. For countries like Hungary where the online platform hasn’t grown as much, casinos accepting Bitcoin as a mode of payment could pose a great advantage because the anonymity of the punters is preserved.

Land-Based Casinos

Hungary has allowed for land-based casinos to operate for longer than their online counterparts. The National Tax and Customs Administration, which is in charge of gambling in Hungary has licensed only 11 casinos in the whole of Hungary. This number is a reduction from the 20 that existed in 1991. The land-based casinos are required by law to renew their licenses every 5 years. The age for legal gambling is set at 18 years. Among the thriving land-based casino in Hungary is the Grand Casino in Debrecen, and the Las Vegas Casino.

The Bottom Line

The Hungarian gambling scene is doing well and has the potential for growth. While the laws set have done very little to expedite the process, there are other factors that have contributed to the slow growth. These include the high taxes charged as well as the monopoly in setting up the casinos that have been observed. The tax for gambling is at 20% and Szerencsejatek, the only company that has managed to set up the online casinos is state owned. The future, however, does look promising for the gambling industry with more companies entering Hungary. There have been collaborations going on between gaming software developers and the land-based casinos to create more Hungarian owned and run online casinos.