Gambling Laws in the Czech Republic
Gambling in the Czech Republic is legal in all of its variety. Within the
Czech gambling laws, the main regulatory acts of all online gambling activities in the country are the new
Act No. 186/2016 On Games of Chance (Gambling Act), the
Decree of 15 January 2019, as well as the
Act No. 187/2016 On tax from games of chance (Gambling Tax Act), though, according to
online gambling news sites, the latter is likely to suffer amendments.
Section 3 of the
Gambling Act enlists all the legal gambling games in the country, which, under the current
Czech gambling legislation, allows all forms of
online gambling.
The main regulatory body of the land-based and online gambling activities in the country is the Ministry of Finance, which is backed in its work by the Customs Administration and the municipal authorities. The Ministry of Finance is the authority that grants licenses to all Czech casinos, sportsbooks, or other types of gambling providers, brick and mortar as well as online, willing to participate in the Czech market. And according to the law, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in any gambling activity.
Online Casinos in the Czech Republic
Online casinos in the Czech Republic are legal under a basic license granted by the Ministry of Finance. As casino games are so popular in the country, there are many domestic platforms serving the market. However, gamblers can also access unlicensed websites that offer better opportunities and a wider variety of games, as there are no reports of prosecution by the authorities.
Online Poker in the Czech Republic
Poker is an extremely popular pastime in the Czech Republic, with most of the casinos regularly offering attractive tournaments. Although there are no specific
Czech poker laws, the general regulations apply and online poker is also considered to be legal in the country. Due to its high popularity, there are several specialized international
online poker sites in the Czech Republic,
PokerStars, and
partypoker.
Online Lottery in the Czech Republic
Sazka is the state-licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country including the
online lotto sites in the Czech Republic. The origin of Sazka dates back to 1956 when it was established as a sports betting games company. One year later, the company introduced the first lottery. The market expanded a lot in all those years and, as of August 2019, Czech players have many options when playing lotto games. Among them, are international platforms that offer higher jackpots.
Online Bingo in the Czech Republic
Although bingo is recognized by the Gambling Act as a separate gambling category, there are no specific
Czech online bingo laws. As of August 2019, however, there are no specialized websites offering
online bingo in the Czech Republic, which is why players access international platforms that actually target Czechs.
Online Sports Betting in the Czech Republic
Sports betting is not recognized as a separate gambling category in the Czech Republic and is mainly categorized as odds betting or totalisator games. These games are considered to be legal in their land-based as well as an online form. As of August 2019, there are various
online sportsbook sites in the Czech Republic. But bettors who are seeking a wider variety of sports to bet on, as well as higher odds, might also access international platforms without fearing prosecution.
Online DFS in the Czech Republic
Online DFS sites in the Czech Republic are not regulated but are already widely popular. Considering the new
Act No. 186/2016 On Games of Chance (Gambling Act) and the legality of all forms of online gambling, it is very likely that Daily Fantasy Sports will soon become fully legal in the country.