Slovakia Introduces Gambling Whitelist

Slovakia’s gambling authority, The Office for the Regulation of Gambling, has announced that it is creating a whitelist of gambling websites that are run by licensed operators. The aim is to help players identify which sites are legal for them to play at.

Slovakia has been updating a mirror list of illegal websites for a number of years, but it seems this has not been enough to ensure that players stick to licensed operators. The general director of the Slovakia gambling authority, Dávid Lenčéš, explained that this is because unlicensed operators are extremely inventive and adept at finding new ways of attracting players.

We prevent one illegal website from operating, and another one is created immediately. The creativity of their operators has no limits. They often try to motivate players with irresistible bonus offers, modern visuals, unlimited deposits, and in the case of foreign operators, the perfect Slovak language. If players do not check the mandatory details of the website, they may have no reason to suspect that it is illegal content operating outside our country. However, by playing on the illegal website, they are depriving themselves of the possibility of getting their winnings and their legal protection under the laws in force in the Slovak Republic.

Dávid LenčéšGeneral Director of Slovakian Office for the Regulation of Gambling

Lenčéš said that the new whitelist will contain details of all licensed websites and other entities. Any gambling operator or brand not included on the list is illegal for Slovakian players. He hopes that players will check the whitelist before joining a new site and, this way, avoid any future disappointment.

Gambling websites will be included on the list as long as they meet the regulations set out in Slovakia’s Gambling Act. Those who advertise illegal sites are subject to fines ranging from €50,000 a person up to €250,000 for AI promotions.