Slovakia’s gambling regulator launches digital safety research for youth

Slovakia’s gambling regulator has launched a new research initiative aimed at improving the protection of younger audiences as digital entertainment increasingly combines gaming features with mechanisms associated with gambling. The Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Faculty of Mass Media Communication at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (UCM).

The agreement focuses on the growing overlap between gaming and gambling and is intended to strengthen evidence based prevention. According to URHH, modern monetisation systems and increasingly sophisticated game mechanics can make chance based spending more familiar to younger users. The regulator has identified features such as loot boxes, skin betting and other randomised reward systems as areas requiring closer attention.

The initiative forms part of a wider preventive approach by URHH that places greater emphasis on emerging digital risks. The authority has also been developing its role in consumer protection and has stated that its responsibilities now include oversight of consumer protection rules in the gambling sector.

Research will examine changing boundaries between gaming and gambling

The central issue behind the partnership is the increasingly blurred distinction between traditional games and gambling style experiences. Digital games can include purchasing systems, virtual items and chance based rewards that may create an experience that differs considerably from conventional betting while still exposing users to similar behavioural patterns.

URHH has said the memorandum will create a framework for systematic knowledge sharing and monitoring of developments in the digital gaming environment. The intention is to use research findings to support practical prevention programmes focused on young people.

This approach reflects a broader regulatory challenge. Digital products can evolve rapidly while legislation and public policy often move more slowly. By working directly with academics who study game design and player behaviour, the regulator can build a stronger evidence base for future prevention measures rather than relying solely on established gambling models.

The partnership is therefore relevant not only to gambling regulation but also to consumer awareness and digital literacy. It places emphasis on understanding how users encounter potentially risky mechanics before those experiences develop into more serious concerns.

Gen Z and Alpha are central to the initiative

URHH has placed particular attention on Generation Z and Generation Alpha because technology is deeply integrated into how younger people communicate, socialise and consume entertainment.

URHH Director General Libuša Baranová said: “For Gen Z and Alpha, technology is not just a tool but the environment where they form identity, relationships and their view of the world,” she said, adding that protection requires staying one step ahead of the risks built into modern game design.

The statement reflects the regulator’s view that effective protection requires detailed knowledge of digital environments. It is not enough to examine gambling activity only after a user has reached a licensed betting or casino product. Regulators increasingly need to understand the wider ecosystem through which users may first encounter concepts involving probability, rewards, digital assets and spending.

URHH has already identified hybrid digital products as an area of strategic interest. Its 2025 annual report highlighted the need to examine products operating in the grey area between video games and virtual environments including loot boxes and skin betting.

The authority’s current work also sits within a broader expansion of prevention and consumer protection activity. In February 2026, URHH assumed a consumer protection supervisory role covering gambling operators under Slovakia’s consumer protection framework.

UCM brings specialist digital games expertise

The University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava adds an important academic dimension to the programme. Its Department of Digital Games is described by UCM as the first comprehensive department in Slovakia focused on digital games and game studies.

The department covers game development and game studies alongside areas including psychology, media, marketing, ethics and the social impact of games. Its research activity includes the study of game mechanics, player behaviour, digital environments and the ethical and educational aspects of gaming.

That expertise is particularly relevant to a regulatory programme examining where gaming and gambling may intersect. Academic research can help identify the design elements and behavioural patterns that deserve attention while providing a framework for assessing prevention measures.

URHH said the memorandum will support the exchange of professional knowledge and monitoring of trends in digital gaming while creating opportunities for preventive activities designed around the needs of younger people.

The cooperation also gives UCM an opportunity to connect academic research with practical public policy. For regulators, this can provide access to specialist knowledge about game mechanics and digital culture. For academics, it creates a channel through which research findings can potentially contribute to real world prevention strategies.

Digital gambling remains a growing regulatory concern

The partnership comes as online gambling continues to account for a significant share of Slovakia’s gambling market. URHH reported that Slovaks spent €1.55 billion on gambling during 2025. Internet casinos generated €568.6 million in gross gaming yield and represented 36.6% of the total gambling yield recorded during the year.

The figures underline why online behaviour is increasingly important for regulators. Smartphones, social networks and connected entertainment services have reduced the distance between users and digital transactions.

For younger audiences in particular, digital experiences may be encountered across multiple platforms rather than through clearly defined gambling products. This makes prevention more complicated and strengthens the case for research into the mechanisms that can influence attitudes toward chance based spending.

The objective is not to treat all digital games as gambling products. Instead, the research programme recognises that certain mechanics may warrant closer examination because of the way they introduce chance, rewards or financial participation into recreational environments.

Broader gambling reform remains a separate policy issue

The new research partnership also takes place against a changing legal and regulatory backdrop. Slovakia’s Gambling Act is governed by Act No. 30/2019 and has undergone amendments as authorities have responded to developments in the market and changes in regulatory policy. The current legal framework includes specific provisions covering internet gambling.

A major legislative dispute emerged in 2025 when Parliament approved an amendment to the Gambling Act that was subsequently returned by President Peter Pellegrini for reconsideration. The president argued that the legislation raised concerns involving the constitutional autonomy of municipalities and local decision making.

Rudolf Huliak, who was appointed Minister of Tourism and Sport in March 2025, had been associated with the government proposal. Parliamentary records show that he presented the proposed changes to Act No. 30/2019 and argued that the amendments could address illegal gambling while supporting public revenues.

The dispute demonstrates that gambling policy in Slovakia extends well beyond licensing and market supervision. Questions surrounding local authority, consumer protection, public revenues and responsible gambling remain part of the wider legislative debate.

Prevention is becoming a central regulatory priority

Against that background, the URHH and UCM initiative offers a more preventive approach to gambling related risks. Rather than focusing exclusively on established gambling products, it seeks to understand the digital environments where younger audiences spend significant amounts of time.

This is especially important as game developers, platforms and online communities continue to experiment with new commercial models. Regulatory responses that are based only on traditional definitions of gambling may struggle to keep pace with products that combine entertainment, social interaction, virtual goods and chance based mechanics.

Academic research can help address that gap by examining how these systems work and how users experience them. It can also support education aimed at helping young people understand the difference between entertainment and financial risk.

For URHH, the cooperation with UCM may therefore serve as an important component of a broader responsible gambling strategy. The authority has continued to increase its focus on prevention, consumer protection and emerging forms of digital gambling while maintaining oversight of the legal market.

Conclusion

Slovakia’s decision to connect gambling regulation with specialised digital games research reflects a notable shift toward earlier intervention and evidence based prevention. The cooperation between URHH and the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava recognises that the risks associated with gambling may not always begin inside a conventional betting or casino environment.

By examining game mechanics, monetisation systems and digital behaviour, the project can contribute to a more informed understanding of how younger audiences encounter chance based features online. Its emphasis on Gen Z and Generation Alpha is particularly significant because these groups are growing up in an environment where gaming, social interaction and digital commerce increasingly operate together.

The initiative does not establish that every gaming mechanic constitutes gambling nor does it presume that every digital game creates a regulatory concern. Instead, it creates a framework for research, assessment and prevention at a time when technology is changing faster than traditional regulatory models.

For Slovakia, the longer term value of the initiative will depend on how research findings are translated into practical education, proportionate regulatory measures and effective consumer safeguards. As digital entertainment continues to evolve, a clearer understanding of where gambling related risks can emerge may become an increasingly important part of protecting younger users while maintaining a balanced regulatory environment.

FAQs – Slovakia gambling regulator launches youth research

What is the new URHH initiative in Slovakia?
The initiative is a cooperation programme between the Gambling Regulatory Authority and the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava focused on research and prevention related to digital gaming and gambling risks.

Why is URHH studying digital games?
URHH is studying digital games because some modern gaming mechanics can include chance based rewards, virtual items and monetisation systems that may overlap with gambling related behaviours.

What are loot boxes?
Loot boxes are digital reward systems that typically provide an unknown virtual item or reward when purchased or opened. Their design can involve elements of chance.

What is skin betting?
Skin betting refers to gambling or wagering activities involving virtual items or skins associated with digital games. Such activities are part of the emerging issues being examined by regulators.

Why are Gen Z and Gen Alpha a focus?
URHH considers younger generations particularly relevant because digital technology is deeply integrated into their communication, entertainment and social environments.

What role will UCM play?
UCM will contribute academic expertise in digital games and game studies. Its Department of Digital Games researches areas including game mechanics, psychology, ethics and digital culture.

Does the initiative mean all digital games are considered gambling?
No. The programme is focused on understanding specific mechanics and behaviours that may create gambling related risks. It does not automatically classify all digital games as gambling.

What is Slovakia’s main gambling law?
Slovakia’s principal gambling legislation is Act No. 30/2019 on Gambling Games, which sets out rules covering the operation and promotion of gambling activities including internet gambling.

Who is Libuša Baranová?
Libuša Baranová is the Director General of Slovakia’s Gambling Regulatory Authority. URHH lists her as the authority’s current Director General.

Has Slovakia recently changed its gambling regulation?
Slovakia has continued to amend its gambling framework and introduced additional regulatory measures in 2025 and 2026. The government and Parliament have also debated wider changes to the Gambling Act.