A collaborative initiative between the Slovak national gambling helpline, Linka pomoci pre problémy s hraním, and BetBlocker, the charitable organization providing cost-free, anonymous gambling restriction software, will result in the tool’s expansion to include native Slovakian language support.
Uptake is already remarkably high among the Slovakian public, as BetBlocker has provided assistance to hundreds of individuals in the country throughout this year and is projected to nearly double its user base in Slovakia by year-end.
In line with global patterns, Slovakia has experienced a sharp rise in individuals seeking help for gambling-related issues in recent years. In July 2025, the country’s official self-exclusion database (RVO) exceeded 20,000 enrollees for the first time.
Furthermore, an August 2025 report from the Institute of Gambling Regulation (IPRHH) raised alarms that up to 300,000 Slovaks were utilizing unlicensed gambling sites, with 13.1% of participants admitting they did so specifically to bypass their RVO restrictions.
BetBlocker’s mobile-based application shuts down access to both authorized and black-market gambling platforms with identical efficiency, empowering individuals to more strictly maintain their personal betting boundaries.
Duncan Garvie, Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker, shared the following:
We are really pleased to cooperate with Linka pomoci pre problémy s hraním to expand our support to Slovakia. Cooperating with local stakeholders to help expand awareness of the help that BetBlocker offers is the single most effective approach to reaching the audience that would benefit from BetBlocker. National support organisations have a understanding of their community and how to effectively communicate support messaging that BetBlocker’s small team could not hope to achieve independently.
BetBlocker is already experiencing rapidly growing uptake of support in Slovakia. This collaboration will supercharge that growth, ensuring that thousands of additional people, and their families and loved ones, have an additional option when it comes to finding help.
BetBlocker would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Linka pomoci pre problémy s hraním for helping us become more effective communicators to people experiencing gambling harm in Slovakia.
Erik Kovac, a psychologist at the Slovak gambling helpline Linka pomoci pre problémy s hraním, concluded:
BetBlocker is one of the standard first-aid tools we recommend for people who call our helpline and want to limit their online gambling. It is a great project and we are grateful for this collaboration.
