The President of Slovakia has rejected amendments to the country’s Gambling Act designed to significantly strengthen state power in relation to the sector.

According to local media, President Peter Pellegrini refused to sign the amendment citing it as an example of central government interference into the jurisdiction of regional governments.

The amendments were introduced to the parliament of Slovakia by the Sports and Tourism Minister Rudolf Huliak back in August and were subsequently approved by the National Council, the country’s parliament, two weeks ago.

The Ministry, along with other supporters of the amendment, argued it would generate state revenue and give the government greater control over an industry with a substantial societal impact – “We are not here to enable the gambling industry — we are here to control it,” Huliak had stated to Parliament.

Proponents of the legislation were quick to celebrate, proclaiming that “despite strong opposition from lobby groups, we managed to defeat these lobbyists”.

President Pellegrini, however, believes that the legislation infringes on the self-governance of Slovakia’s regions by potentially forcing these regions to accept the opening of a casino even if they do not want this. He argued that this, by extension, fringes on the rights of the individual citizen.

“The sovereign holder of power in Slovakia is the citizen,” the President said. “Citizens in many places in Slovakia, either directly in local referendums or through their elected representatives, have made it clear that they don’t want gambling in their village or town.

“The approved law, despite its amendments in Parliament, doesn’t guarantee that the will of citizens will be fully respected.”

President and cabinet at loggerheads?

The main caveats of the bill were a strengthening of central government powers over the gambling sector alongside a bolstering of the state-owned lottery firm Tipos.

According to the Ministry, the amendment would bring in more than €100m in revenue used to support new Tipos products and features like an expansion of its retail betting terminals to include lottery.

Tipos was also going to be allowed to take over the licences of existing casinos, with these casinos being relegated to only being allowed to operate from three-star hotels – though this would have been conditional on the approval of a local city government.

“If the state is to bear all the costs associated with the negative impacts of gambling, it must have control over gambling in order to minimise its negative impacts on society,” said Huliak.

“Alcohol, gambling, and abortion are evils that need to be regulated, not ignored. My goal is to bring gambling under full state control, as well as the revenues that flow from it, and to fight against illegal operations.”

Slovakia is a parliamentary presidential republic, with the President being the head of state while the parliament consists of legislators with the largest party forming a government headed up by a Prime Minister.

As with other countries with the same system, the President and Prime Minister are not always from the same party or ideology, and the duo can often have disagreements of opinion.

Upon refusing to sign the amendments, Pellegrini has sent it back to the National Council, according to local media with the recommendation that it not be approved.

This puts the Head of State at odds with Minister Huliak, who had previously lambasted opponents of the amendment as “lobbying for private gambling operators at the expense of the state lottery company”.

2025 has been a year of regulatory upheaval for Slovakia’s gambling sector, with the Office for the Regulation of Gambling (ÚRHH) undergoing three leadership changes in just twelve months.

Former Director General MartinBohoš, who had led the authority since 2019, had earlier urged the government to launch a comprehensive review of the Slovak Gambling Act — the first since its implementation six years ago.

Bohoš cited mounting evidence that Slovak consumers are increasingly shifting their activity online, with a growing preference for high-risk slot and casino-style games, trends that the existing legislation has struggled to address.