Slovakia’s gambling regulator orders total audit of ads during World Cup 2026

Slovakia’s gambling regulator URHH has ordered a full audit of licensee marketing during the 2026 World Cup.

Libuša Baranová, Policy Director at URHH (Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier), told operators that tournament traffic must promote Responsible Gambling tools and self-exclusion — not aggressive player acquisition. URHH has promised immediate bans for violations. 

The audit follows a political compromise after President Peter Pellegrini blocked Minister Rudolf Huliak’s 2025 bill to restrict private operators in favour of state-owned TIPOS, citing the risk of conflict with EU competition law. Pellegrini pledged stronger player protection instead, and URHH’s surveillance is the regulatory follow-through. Authorities want to stop operators from using World Cup hype to cross-sell audiences into the high-risk online slots segment.

Onshore giants control 97% of demand: URHH targets legal market over offshore

The pressure on operators ahead of the World Cup reflects Slovakia’s market structure, not a fight against the shadow sector. The country has virtually no illegal gambling sector — onshore brands dominate the market, controlling 97% of demand, with Fortuna, Tipsport and DOXXBet leading brand visibility. URHH’s crackdown targets these domestic giants, which are expected to deploy heavy ad budgets during the tournament.

The regulator’s aggressive stance stems from a critical imbalance favouring casino products. iGaming demand in Slovakia is nearly 15 times sports betting demand, and local brand Slovmatic grew 234% year on year. With casino outpacing sports betting by that margin, URHH is using the audit to block bookmakers from redirecting World Cup audiences into high-volatility online slots.