Slovakian Regulator URHH Launches Safer Digital Future to Address Youth Gambling Risks

Slovakia’s gambling regulator URHH has launched the Safer Digital Future programme to protect Generation Z and Generation Alpha from gambling disorders. The initiative is formalised in a memorandum of cooperation with the Department of Digital Games at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication of the University of St Cyril and Methodius in Trnava.

The project will collect evidence on emerging digital products and their effects on younger audiences. Particular focus falls on the overlap between video gaming and gambling, including loot boxes, skin betting and randomised reward systems that blur sector boundaries.

Research Partnership and Youth Exposure Risks

Libuša Baranová, Director General of URHH, emphasised the importance of understanding younger generations’ digital habits. “For generations Z and alpha, technology is not just a tool, but a natural environment that shapes their identity, social relationships and worldview,” she said. “They perceive the digital and real world as one interconnected whole. Therefore, if we want to effectively protect the young generation from the risks of the digital age, we need to be one step ahead. We need to know detailed specifics of the gaming industry, video game design and psychological mechanisms that affect young people.”

Juliána Mináriková, acting dean at FMK UCM, underlined the value of the link. “It is important to understand their mechanics not only from the perspective of design and player experience, but also from the perspective of their possible risks,” she explained. “We see cooperation with the Gambling Regulatory Authority as an opportunity to connect our knowledge of the gaming industry with practical prevention tools and thus contribute to ensuring that young people are able to use the digital environment responsibly.”

The university department runs Slovakia’s first academic programme dedicated to game studies. It will support URHH in monitoring developments, assessing risks and shaping prevention strategies. Modern monetisation models, advanced game design and social media are cited as eroding traditional boundaries, with repeated exposure to chance-based spending potentially normalising risk-taking for 14–29 year olds and 1–13 year olds. As reported by Focus Gaming News, the programme establishes systematic knowledge exchange between researchers and regulators.

Legislative Review and Evidence Needs

The launch occurs while the National Council of Slovakia debates a broader review of the Gambling Act of 2019. Online casino gaming has become the largest vertical in the Slovakian gambling market, prompting questions over whether the legislation is outdated.

A package of amendments submitted last year by Sports and Tourism Minister Rudolf Huliak proposed new controls and licence restrictions but was vetoed by President Peter Pellegrini. Pellegrini has indicated support for a more comprehensive reform programme focused on consumer protection.

The evidence gathered through this memorandum could directly inform those reforms by clarifying the precise psychological and design mechanisms at work.

Reporting: Focus Gaming News

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