Hungary names Zoltán Sólyom CEO of state gambling operator Szerencsejáték Zrt after leadership purge

Hungary's Finance Minister, András Kármán, has chosen Zoltán Sólyom as chief executive of Szerencsejáték Zrt, the country's state-owned exclusive gambling operator. Kármán announced the decision on his Facebook page on 27 October. The appointment still awaits publication in the government gazette.

The company had no chief executive after Kármán dismissed Zoltán Guller in July. The board was then replaced in August, with the minister calling for a reset of the company. Earlier changes, effective from 15 July, removed directors Krisztina Rédey, Szabolcs Imre Ágostházy, Gábor Bordás and Zsófia Illés-Puka, while Marianna Gabriella Poltné Palásthy resigned. Marcell Olajos became chairman and Zoltán Horváth joined the board.

Sólyom has no background in gambling or Hungarian politics. He founded the corporate insurance consultancy and brokerage Palladium Consulting in 1997 after a career at Generali that included senior management roles. Since August he has sat on the supervisory boards of Szerencsejáték and Corvinus International Investment, which Kármán said gave him insight into the operator before taking executive responsibility.

In his announcement, Kármán alleged that the company had been financially mismanaged and used as a funding channel by former prime minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz government. He said billions of forints had been distributed without transparency to businesses close to Fidesz. He declared the end of an era of secrecy and abuse and said he expects a modern, efficient company that serves Hungarian taxpayers.

Orbán's office rejected the claims in a statement reported on 28 October. It said the company had operated lawfully and transparently, that its funding decisions were transparent, and that Kármán could not prove his allegations about support for charitable causes, arts and heritage programmes.

The leadership changes come as Hungary's regulatory setup is also shifting. Parliament has approved legislation removing concession-related duties from the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) and dismantling its Concessions Council. The SZTFH dated the final vote as 22 September and stressed that it gave prior consent to concession arrangements, while awarding concessions rests with designated ministers.

The changes are part of a wider government review of the authority's future. They do not amount to abolishing gambling regulation or opening the market to more operators, and the TISZA government has made no clear commitment to liberalising online gambling. Its stated priority is tighter governance and accountability.