The Hungarian lottery, Szerencsejáték Zrt, has a new Chief Executive Officer, Zoltán Sólyom, but the state-owned gambling firm has also found itself at the centre of a political spat.
András Kármán, the Hungarian Finance Minister, confirmed the appointment via a Facebook post, though it has yet to be officially confirmed in the state gazette. Sólyom takes the helm from Zoltán Guller, who was sacked as CEO by Kármán in July 2026.
This was the beginning of a group-wide “reset of the company”, in Kármán’s words, which later saw the entire board removed in August.
This was likely a case of the new TISZA government asserting its control over state institutions after unseating the 16-year Fidesz rule of Viktor Orban.
“Today marks the end of the era of secrecy and abuse at Szerencsejáték Zrt,” said Kármán.
“I have appointed Zoltán Sólyom as CEO because, during the selection process, he convinced me that he would be a capable leader and a responsible steward of the company.
“I expect the company to become a modern, efficient business that operates, above all, in the interests of Hungarian taxpayers.”
Kármán has taken particular aim at the Hungarian lottery company’s spending under its previous management and under the political oversight of the Fidesz government.
The Finance Minister claims that Szerencsejáték had become a “cash dispenser” for the Orban’s System of National Cooperation (NER), a political, economic and social system established by the former government over its decade-and-a-half tenure.
“Billions of forints of taxpayers’ money were distributed through the company without transparency or justification, and on political grounds, to businesses close to Fidesz,” Kármán continued.
The Fidesz party and Orban’s office has subsequently hit back.
A statement issued on 28 October, as reported in Hungarian media, maintained that Szerencsejáték had acted lawfully and transparently under the Fidesz administration, including the formation and implementation of funding policy.
The ex-PM’s office claims that Kármán can not prove any of the allegations made against the Fidesz-overseen Szerencsejáték management and its funding of Hungarian charity and social causes via lottery, betting and gaming operations.
