Zoltán Sólyom Appointed CEO of Hungarian Gambling Company

Hungarian Finance Minister András Kármán has appointed Zoltán Sólyom as chief executive of Szerencsejáték Zrt., a state-owned gambling and betting company. According to the ministry, Sólyom began his duties on 27 October.

Sólyom's career has been in insurance and financial services. According to the Hungarian news site 444.hu, he worked at the insurer Generali between 1990 and 1997, rising to operations director and then company director. In 1997 he founded Palladium Consulting, a firm providing corporate insurance advisory and brokerage services. Kármán said Sólyom has held senior management positions at various finance and insurance companies.

Since August 2026, Sólyom has sat on the boards of directors of Szerencsejáték Zrt. and the state-owned Corvinus Nemzetközi Befektetési Zrt. Kármán said the new chief executive became familiar with the company's operations during this period.

The appointment follows a series of changes at the company during 2026. Kármán removed former board chairman and chief executive Zoltán Guller on 30 June. Balázs Pozsgai then served as interim chief executive. In July, Marcell Olajos was appointed chairman of the board. The company's management page now lists Olajos as chairman and Sólyom as chief executive.

Kármán said he wants the company to operate more efficiently and transparently. The minister alleged that under the previous leadership, spending favored companies with political connections.