The History
Slovakia is in the centre of Europe and has been independent since 1993 (when it was previously part of Czechoslovakia ruled by the Soviet Union. As a result, there has been strong economic growth as well as an increase in the living standards of people in the country.
The possibility of Slovaks to gamble is a development that has been there for only a few years now. A communist ruling Czechoslovakia outlawed all forms of gambling. The Slovak Republic as a separate entity had the right to bring in new legislation, rules and infrastructure.
The first thing that was done was to start a National Lottery by Slovakia (TIPOS runs it). It was then decided that the money from the lottery would be given to the Ministry of Finance, and the lotto became part of Slovak culture. They have four kinds of games and these can be bought by Slovaks at numerous points spread across their country.
Slovakia is a country in which slot machines are allowed in bars, and has legalized land-based gambling on its territory. This allows bets with fixed odds to be placed on various sports events in betting shops that are found all over Slovakia. In the course of one calendar year, gambling generates roughly nine hundred million euros in revenue for the Slovak Republic, which is quite a large amount per person when you consider that there are only 5.5 million people living within the country’s borders.
In theory, the online market is a little less open (although in reality it is).
Registration of licensees in Slovakia and their servers must be in the country. The government considered banning foreign betting operators in 2011, but quickly dropped it due to strong opposition from the European Union [2].
The government had previously granted TIPOS credit protection from its creditors in 2011, given that the lottery provider along with its online betting business had also been very prosperous but not it started to lose money continually due to tough international competition.
Firms That Operate in Slovakia
Almost all leading bookies are open to Slovaks for registration. One can also find the best online betting sites in our listings above.
Some Slovakian firms (including Ladbrokes and William Hill) offer their website in this language. It is worth noting that the national currency of Slovakia is Euro making it easier for the locals to deposit money on their online gambling accounts.
Popular Sports
In Slovakia, the winter season is usually marked by ice Hockey’s popularity. The Slovak national team came into existence as a result of splitting Czechoslovakia into two countries, thus many Slovak players, who had been kept out when these two nations were one, got another chance to play.
When they began, they were competing with nations that had little or no ice hockey history at all. Nevertheless, in 2002 the Slovak team became famous worldwide after winning the World Championships held in Sweden. The NHL has many players from this national team and there is no doubt that this sport will continue to grow even stronger in the future.
Just like almost anywhere in Europe, Slovakia is a great football country. This has seen their national team make great strides (they are now 27th overall) and also qualify for the European Championships in 2016. Majority of its national team players play across Europe with Martin Skrtel, Liverpool FC’s player being one of them.
Slovakia Horse Racing, alongside soccer and ice hockey sport, is one of the most accepted games in Slovakia. The country has a long tradition of horse racing which began with the earliest race in 1840. In this line, Bratislava was the first place to have a racecourse in 1868; a move that boosted horse breeding industry as racing gained more popularity.
Currently, racing is conducted at the Bratislava track. Apart from on-course pari-mutuel service, bettors can also gamble off-course through licensed bookmakers.
Other sports that are played and watched in Slovakia on a regular basis include handball, tennis, and softball.
What Does the Future Hold for Betting Online in Slovakia?
Even though some years ago, the Slovakian government tried such ways of controlling online gambling in the country, these were short-lived and proved unsuccessful. It is possible for any citizen of Slovakia to visit major bookmakers’ websites across the world with no restrictions and this is expected to remain so for a long time to come.
References
The Slovakian Online Gaming Market – State and Prospects.
In Slovakia, there are plans to alter its legislation governing the online gambling industry.
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