Longtimers here in Hungary may recall an era when every other new business on the streets of places like Budapest seemed to be gaming halls. Well, that era now seems to be over. According to piacesprofit.hu, revenues for members of the Hungarian Gambling Association (MSZSZ) - that is, companies operating gaming machines - fell by almost 15% in 2009, while the number of such nyerőgépek has been in continuous decline for the last half-decade, from 33,000 in 2005 to only 25,000 last year.

Revenues from the game machine sector, which makes up a third of the Hungarian gambling market, were Ft 81.3 billion (€300 million) last year. MSZSZ Chairman István Schreiber said that roughly 14% of Hungarians play such machines, compared to the 40% who play the lottery.

Meanwhile, according to tax office APEH, revenue for the gambling market as a whole were Ft 243 billion in 2009, a 7.4% fall compared to 2008 (Ft 263 billion). The state's income from gaming tax was Ft 35.7 billion, down from Ft 40 billion in 2008.