On 12 April TISZA, led by Peter Magyar, won a two-thirds majority in Hungary, ending sixteen years of Fidesz government. For the gaming sector this is the most significant political change in the region since the Czech and Romanian markets opened.
Hungary today is close to closed. Szerencsejatek Zrt, the state lottery, remains 100% state-owned. Since the 2023 reform only two online operators hold licences. Casino concessions run to 2056. Hungarian courts have found parts of the system in breach of EU law, and the new government has said it will investigate the concession contracts.
A market of ten million people with a two-operator online regime does not stay that way once the political protection is gone. DLA Piper’s April note expects an overhaul towards an open licensing model. Nobody knows the timing, but the direction is clear.
Three things follow for CEE operators and suppliers.
Position early. The licence holders of a newly opened market are usually the ones who were already talking to the regulator, had a local partner and had a compliant product ready. That work starts a year before the law changes.
Existing Hungarian licence holders face a re-rating either way. If the market opens, their exclusivity is worth less; if the concessions are challenged, their whole position is. An owner considering a sale should think about doing it before the new framework is drafted.
Watch the suppliers. Every operator entering Hungary will need a certified platform, payment providers and local content. Bulgarian and Czech suppliers with a CEE footprint are well placed.
Also this month, Bulgaria elected a majority government on 19 April and the ECB held rates at 2%. A majority in Sofia and a stable rate outlook both help the case for foreign buyers looking at the region.
We follow the Hungarian process closely and will publish as the draft legislation appears.
(Sources: SBC News, 15 April 2026; DLA Piper, April 2026; ECB, 30 April 2026)