Foreign bookmakers in Slovakia: the law, blocking and risks

In short

• Only an operator holding an individual ÚRHH licence may offer online fixed-odds betting to players in Slovakia.
• A licence from another country, for example Malta, the Czech Republic, Austria, Gibraltar or the UK, is not a Slovak licence.
• The regulator puts unlicensed websites on the list of prohibited offers. Internet providers must block them and payment institutions must block payments to the listed accounts.
• The law mainly sanctions operators and those who spread an illegal offer. As a player, though, you lose the protection of Slovak supervision at an unlicensed bookmaker, payouts can get stuck and the tax treatment of winnings is uncertain.

What Act No. 30/2019 Coll. says

The Gambling Act (zákon č. 30/2019 Z. z. o hazardných hrách) governs who may run gambling in Slovakia, including fixed-odds betting. Online fixed-odds betting may only be run under an individual licence granted by the Gambling Regulatory Authority (Úrad pre reguláciu hazardných hier, ÚRHH). A licensed operator has duties towards players: verifying identity, keeping player accounts, respecting the register of excluded persons, following the game plan approved with the licence and paying levies.

Anyone who offers gambling to players in Slovakia without a licence breaks the law. ÚRHH can act against such an offer under § 85 of the Act (prohibited offers) and impose sanctions on operators. The Gambling Act does not expressly set a penalty for a player who bets with a foreign bookmaker; on our reading, its sanctions concern operators, service providers and those who promote an illegal offer or make access to it easier. That does not mean such betting has no consequences, as the risks below show.

The list of prohibited offers and blocking

ÚRHH keeps and updates every week the list of prohibited offers (zoznam zakázaných ponúk). It contains websites, mobile apps and payment account numbers through which gambling is offered without a Slovak licence. As of 19 October 2026 it held more than a thousand web addresses, including several large international brands, betting exchanges and crypto bookmakers.

Being listed has direct consequences:

• Website blocking: internet providers in Slovakia must block access to listed websites. That is why you see an ÚRHH notice instead of the site, or the site doesn't load.
• Payment blocking: banks and other payment service providers must block payments to the accounts on the list. A deposit or withdrawal can fail even if the site itself opens.
• Apps: the list also includes mobile apps that may not be made available in Slovakia.

Watch out for copycats as well. The list contains addresses whose names resemble Slovak licensed brands but don't belong to them; one example is doxxbet-online.com, which is not an official site of DOXXbet. Only bet at the address given on the ÚRHH list of legal websites.

Risks for players

Payouts and withheld winnings

A bookmaker without a Slovak licence does not have to follow Slovak rules on payouts, complaints or identity checks. A common scenario: the player deposits without problems, but at the first larger withdrawal the bookmaker asks for more documents, cites a breach of its terms or closes the account. With winnings from sure bets, which bookmakers often regard as unwelcome, the risk is higher. What to do when a bookmaker won't pay is explained in bookmaker won't pay out.

Disputes without Slovak supervision

With a licensed operator you can complain to ÚRHH, and Slovak law governs the dispute. ÚRHH has no reach over a foreign bookmaker without a licence; what remains is the regulator of the country where the bookmaker is licensed (if it is licensed anywhere) and a lawsuit abroad, which isn't worth it for ordinary amounts.

Payments blocked while you play

A bookmaker can be added to the list while you still have money in your account. If your bank then blocks payments to its accounts, a withdrawal can take longer or may have to go through another route the bookmaker chooses.

No player protection

The register of excluded persons, deposit limits and other responsible gambling tools under Slovak law only apply at licensed operators. A foreign bookmaker doesn't have to check them.

Tax

Winnings at a bookmaker licensed by ÚRHH are generally exempt from income tax. For winnings from abroad, the Income Tax Act refers to "comparable winnings from abroad", which are also exempt but are not defined more closely. At a bookmaker without any licence the position is therefore uncertain, and winnings could be treated as taxable other income. Details in Slovakia betting tax.

VPNs and getting around the block

Using a VPN to get around the block, or giving another country of residence, is a bad idea. Almost all bookmakers forbid it in their terms and can detect it at withdrawal during the identity check. The usual result is a closed account and a withheld balance. Details in betting with a VPN.

Moving to Slovakia with existing accounts

If you move to Slovakia from Austria, the Czech Republic, the UK or elsewhere, your old betting accounts were opened under that country's rules. Once you are resident in Slovakia, a bookmaker that isn't licensed by ÚRHH may not take your bets, even if it was licensed where you lived before. In practice:

• Withdraw your balances before or soon after the move, while your bank details and address still match the account.
• Tell the bookmaker your new country of residence instead of betting on with an old address; a mismatch discovered at withdrawal is a common reason for withheld balances.
• Open new accounts only with ÚRHH-licensed bookmakers. The overview is in Slovak bookmakers.

How to check whether a bookmaker is licensed

1. Open the list of legal websites on urhh.sk and check that it contains exactly the address where you want to bet.
2. Look at the footer of the bookmaker's site. A licensed operator gives its individual ÚRHH licence number there.
3. If you are unsure, check that the address is not on the list of prohibited offers.
4. A ".sk" domain or a site in Slovak does not prove a licence.

More in how to check a bookmaker's licence. The role of the licensed bookmakers in sure bets is covered in arbitrage betting in Slovakia.

How ArbVantage handles it

ArbVantage is software that compares odds. We don't take bets, broker them or hold your money. We don't hide bookmakers without a Slovak licence. If you say in Settings that you bet from Slovakia, we show the neutral flag "Not licensed in Slovakia" next to every such bookmaker. The decision is yours, and so is the responsibility for complying with the law.

The flags are based on our own check of the ÚRHH lists as of October 2026 and may be out of date. They don't replace your own check. If you only select ÚRHH-licensed bookmakers in Settings, the opportunities feed only shows bets you can place with them. To be upfront: our current odds source does not include the Slovak licensed bookmakers yet; they will come with a second odds source.

Our recommendation

If you live in Slovakia, bet only with operators licensed by ÚRHH. The choice is smaller and the margins higher, but you get clear payout rules, supervision by the regulator, player protection and, as a rule, tax-exempt winnings. With sure bets, where profit is counted in single-digit percentages, one withheld payout at an unlicensed bookmaker can wipe out the result of many months.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a criminal offence to bet with a foreign bookmaker from Slovakia?

The Gambling Act mainly sanctions unlicensed operators and those who promote their offer or make access to it easier. On our reading it sets no express penalty for the player. At a bookmaker without an ÚRHH licence, though, the player loses Slovak protection and risks withheld payouts. This is not legal advice.

Why won't a bookmaker's website open in Slovakia?

It is probably on the ÚRHH list of prohibited offers. Internet providers in Slovakia must block access to listed websites, and banks must block payments to listed accounts. The list is published on urhh.sk and updated every week.

Do I have to pay tax on winnings from a foreign bookmaker?

The Income Tax Act also exempts comparable winnings from abroad, but does not define the term more closely. With a bookmaker licensed in another EU country the exemption is often applied; with a bookmaker without any licence the position is uncertain. Check with a tax adviser.

Can I get around a blocked website with a VPN?

We advise against it. Bookmakers almost always forbid getting around blocks with a VPN or a false country of residence in their terms, and can detect it at withdrawal. The usual result is a closed account and a withheld balance.

Sources

• Act No. 30/2019 Coll. on Gambling · Slov-Lex, current version (licences, § 85 prohibited offers) (in Slovak)
• List of prohibited offers (as of 19 October 2026) · Gambling Regulatory Authority (ÚRHH) (in Slovak)
• Legal websites · ÚRHH (in Slovak)
• Act No. 595/2003 Coll. on Income Tax (§ 9(2)(l)) · Slov-Lex (in Slovak)

As of October 2026, based on publicly available sources. Not legal or tax advice; in a specific case, ask a lawyer or tax adviser.

Betting involves risk, even with sure bets: prices move, bets get voided and accounts get limited. Only use money you can do without. Our responsible gambling page lists where to get help.

Not betting, legal or tax advice. 18+. As of October 2026.