Andras Karman, Hungary's finance minister, has appointed Zoltan Shoyom as chief executive of Szerencsejatek Zrt., a state-owned company that runs lotteries and betting. The minister announced the appointment on Facebook on Tuesday. Shoyom started work on 27 October.
Almost 30 years ago, Shoyom founded a corporate insurance consulting firm, and he has management experience at several financial and insurance companies. Since August, at Karman's invitation, he has sat on the supervisory boards of Szerencsejatek Zrt. and the state investment company Corvinus Nemzetkozi Befektetesi Zrt.
The minister dismissed the previous head, Zoltan Guller, at the end of June. The company was temporarily run by its financial director, Balazs Attila Pozsai. Marcell Olajos became chair of the board of directors, so the posts of chair and CEO, which Guller held together, are now separate.
Karman explained the leadership change by saying that the state company's spending was made non-transparently and for political reasons. He said the company was a “cash box” of NER, which he described as an informal system linked to the former government.
For 2025, net revenue came to 1,310,886 thousand forints, or about $4 billion at the exchange rate of 5 November. Profit after tax was 49,148 thousand forints, or about $150 million.
The new chief executive comes from insurance and finance. The company remains fully state-owned. Karman expects Szerencsejatek Zrt. to become a modern and efficient company that works in the interests of taxpayers.
The previous annual report was published on 28 May 2026. On that schedule, the 2026 report is expected at roughly the same time in 2027.
