Szerencsejáték Zrt, Hungary’s state-owned gambling monopoly, is set to overhaul its existing marketing structure in a significant transparency push.
The state lottery firm has opened a tender for new marketing agencies, with the process designed to bring greater openness to its internal operations and public-facing activities.
Agencies bidding for the contract will be assessed against pre-defined professional criteria established by Szerencsejáték Zrt ahead of the tender process.
Prospective partners will also have the opportunity to ask questions related to the company’s operations and its civic mandate as Hungary’s largest donor to sporting, cultural, and civic projects.
The reform effort comes as the company looks to improve public engagement and increase transparency around how it distributes funding and sponsorships across Hungary.
Szerencsejáték Zrt is a significant financial force in Hungary, with accounts from 2025 detailing the company generating more than €3bn in annual revenue.
The firm also contributed around €447m in taxes and regulatory payments, underlining its central role in the Hungarian state’s finances.
However, the company has faced sustained scrutiny over how its substantial sponsorship funds have historically been allocated across recipients in the country.
A 2024 Népszava analysis reported that approximately HUF 9.2bn of more than HUF 15bn distributed between 2015 and May 2024, around 61%, went to recipients identified as having government, Fidesz, or NER connections.
Suspicions have also remained over Szerencsejáték funding awarded to organisations linked to Ráhel Orbán, the daughter of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Particular scrutiny has centred on the Hungarian Tourism Association Foundation, an organisation associated with projects and networks involving Ráhel Orbán, which received substantial funding from Szerencsejáték-linked sources.
Under TISZA, that funding stream appears to have come to an abrupt halt following Hungary’s April election, marking a notable shift in how the monopoly directs its financial support.
The transparency reset signals that Szerencsejáték Zrt is under increasing pressure to demonstrate that its sponsorship decisions are based on merit rather than political connections.
The marketing tender process represents one of the most visible steps the organisation has taken to address those long-standing concerns under the watch of Hungary’s finance ministry.
