László Nagy has submitted his resignation as President of Hungary's Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH), the body responsible for supervising gambling alongside tobacco, mining and other regulated sectors.
Nagy announced the decision on 14 October, saying the organisational structure outlined in a Government review would differ substantially from the one he was appointed to lead. He will continue carrying out his duties during the statutory 60-day notice period.
The proposal could end the SZTFH's status as an independent regulatory authority from 1 January 2027. It would instead operate as a central office under Government direction, without its current power to issue regulations. These changes are proposals in a report and have not yet taken effect.
The Government ordered a review of the authority on 31 August. Its resolution instructed the Justice Minister to examine how the SZTFH could be abolished and its functions transferred to Government-directed bodies, with a report due by 30 September.
Nagy said he learned the report's contents from the press and that the authority had not been consulted on them. He had previously sought discussions with ministers whose portfolios overlap with the SZTFH's work, but said those approaches had produced no substantive result.
The question for gambling businesses is how licensing, supervision and rulemaking would operate if the proposed structure becomes law. The SZTFH currently licenses online betting and casino activity, maintains public registers of authorised operators and takes action against unlicensed gambling. No replacement body or timetable for transferring those specific functions has been formally confirmed.
Established in 2021, the SZTFH brought several regulatory functions under one authority. Nagy served as its Deputy President from its creation and became President in May 2024, after previously leading Hungary's former gambling regulator from 2017 to 2021.
In September, Global Gaming Insider reported that the Hungarian Government was considering abolishing the SZTFH.
Nagy became President of the SZTFH on 4 May 2024 after serving as its Deputy President since the authority was established
