TITLE: Slovakia's Gambling Regulation Office Publishes Methodological Guidance on Table Games Operations and Data Reporting
BODY:
On December 18, 2025, Slovakia's Office for the Regulation of Gambling Games (Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier) published comprehensive methodological guidance governing the operation of table games and the reporting of data on accepted bets, paid winnings, and fees from gambling operations under the Gambling Act No. 30/2019 Z.z.
The guidance applies to operators holding individual licenses for table games in casinos and those operating poker-type card games outside casinos where players compete against each other. It establishes detailed requirements for three primary categories of table games: casino table games including roulette and dice (code 30); player-versus-player table games in casinos (code 31); and card games outside casinos (code 32).
The guidance defines key operational terms and concepts including buy-ins, re-buys, add-ons, rake fees, guaranteed prizes, and jackpots. For tournaments, operators must announce events at least five calendar days in advance for tournaments with guaranteed prizes exceeding EUR 30,000. The document specifies that operators must maintain daily records of accepted bets and paid winnings for each casino, with reporting to the Office within two working days following the gaming day. For cash games, operators collect rake fees from the pot during play, which constitute part of the operator's fee revenue. The guidance clarifies that guaranteed prize pools require operator contributions if player buy-ins fall short of announced amounts.
The methodological guidance establishes that operators must provide free online server access to the Office for data collection purposes and maintain monitoring systems recording all transactions including table openings, closings, and cash movements. Monthly contribution rates are set at 0.7 percent of revenue or fees depending on game type.
The guidance takes effect on April 1, 2026. Operators must align their game plans and procedures with these requirements by July 31, 2026. Amendment No. 1 becomes effective on June 1, 2026.