The Ministry of Health, through FOCUS, found out what experience Slovaks have in gambling. At least 43.3% of respondents tried one of the gambling games, while the most popular gambling remains the number lotteries experienced by 37% of respondents. The most risky gamblers play on slot machines, while public opinion suggests that gaming on slot machines should be regulated more strictly than at present.
Up to 43.3% of respondents played at least once in their lives any of the gambling games such as slot machines, odds bets, winning live casino games and number lotteries. The most popular gambling is numerical lotteries that have played at least once in life (whether in stone or on the Internet) 37 percent of the people participating in the survey (in 2019 it was 37.9%), followed by odds bets (20.6% and 18.2% in 2019), slot machines (15.9%, 13.7%), and live casino games (7.9%, 6.5% in 2019).
Women have significantly less experience in gambling than men. Women most often play numerical lotteries, but with experience and other types of gambling, men have a strong superiority.
Experience with online gambling has grown significantlyWhile in 2019 only 6.7 percent of respondents had at least one online gambling experience, it is now 14.4%. Compared to previous research, experience with gambling of all types of online gambling has grown. Currently, the most popular online exchange rate betting experience is 9% of people (only 4.4 % in 2019) and the number lotteries played online 8.9% (only 3.5 percent in 2019).
The share of risk players is stableLie/bet is aimed at identifying risk playing and is composed of two questions (Have you ever felt the need to bet more and more money in the last 12 months? And have you ever been lying over the last 12 months to people who are important to you, about how much you gamble or bet?) and the positive answer already to one of them is considered to be a risk of trouble playing and the positive answer to both questions suggests a high risk of trouble playing.

Based on the Lie/bet screening scale thus calculated, a total of 3,5% of the current risk players in the population of 15 -- 64 years old (in 2019 this was 3.3 %) and 1.3% of respondents with a currently high risk of problem playing (in 2019 it was 1.6%). Among men in this age range is 5.7 percent of current risk players and 2.2% of players with a currently high risk of problem playing. Between the young age of 15 34 years is 4.4 percent of the current risk players and 1.4% of players with a currently high risk of problem playing.
Most risky players play on slot machinesUp to 39.4% of respondents who have played on slot machines (whether in stone or online) in the last 12 months show risky gambling features according to the Li/bet scale and 21.1 percent even high risk of problem playing. A little less risky players (35.7%) are among respondents who have played casino games in the last 12 months as well as among respondents who have bet on odds bets (30.2%). The least risky players (11.3%) are among respondents who have played numerical lotteries over the past 12 months.
Up to 12.3% of those people on whose property or salary (whether past or present) has been executed are, according to the screening scale of Li/bet, risky gamblers (and 8% of them have a high risk of problem gambling). Among respondents with no experience of execution, only 2.9% are at risk (and only 1.3% have a high risk of problem playing).
Winning machines should be regulated more strictlyRespondents consider the most stringent regulation of slot machines, where up to 59.8% advocate a more restrictive regime than is currently the case (41.8% for their total ban and 18% for their stricter regulation). They still think fairly strongly about casino games, where 49,1% of people are currently more restrictive than at present (26,6% for their total ban and 2,5% for their stricter regulation). For exchange rate bets, an exact half of respondents (50%) support their current regulation, and similarly this applies to numbers lotteries where 51.3% of respondents support current regulation.
–The increase in the popularity of online gambling is likely to be related to the pandemic period and the associated restrictions on free movement and the closure of stone establishments. As in previous 2019 research, it is confirmed that the most risky is playing on slot machines, while the public is in favour of more stringent regulation or even banning them. closes Robert Klongucky of the SAV Sociology Institute, who worked with the research.
FOCUS carried out a survey on the prevalence of psychoactive substances and other addictive behaviour in the population of Slovakia, including gambling, from May 2 to June 12, 2023 through a network of trained surveyors on a representative sample of 5 031 inhabitants of the Slovak Republic aged 15 to 64 using a method of interviews, and because of the sensitivity of the topic, respondents could also decide to self-complete the questionnaire in the presence of the surveyer.
Telephone lines that offer help not only for drug addiction, the fight against alcoholism or smoking, but also for gambling addiction can be found here: https://www.infodrugy.sk/page/urgent-aid