Gambling laws have significantly changed in the Czech Republic

Over the past year, the gambling laws have significantly changed in the Czech Republic. Bans and changes in taxes have been introduced, consumer protection laws have been issued, and the licensing process has been toughened. Read on the overview.

czech republic gambling laws

Prohibition of bonuses

In September, restrictions on bonuses in online casinos and bookmakers were introduced in the Czech Republic.

The Czech authorities announced that operators operating in the country will no longer be able to make players special offers related to bets. This is due to the fact that the country is actively complying with the EU standards in this area.

Within a year, there have been many changes in the gambling regulation. For example, the income tax (GGR) has changed. In January, the GGR tax for bookmakers and lottery owners rose to 23%, and up to 35% for casinos with games using Random Number Generator. Both of the above taxes must be paid in addition to the standard corporate tariff of 19%.

New laws on consumer protection

Over the past year, the Czech Ministry of Finance has also announced a number of new laws on consumer protection.

Operators are required to set hourly maximum limits for players. The limits should be established basing on mathematical calculations of how much a specific person loses, as well as on the size and the number of bets and average payouts.

Changes in the licensing process

Meanwhile, the licensing process was toughened, which has made many operators cease to operate in the Czech Republic. The operators noted that the verification process is too long and complicated.

Sep 18, 2017
Igor Rumyantsev
Igor is the Head of Banking and Licensing Department at GamingLicensing who has over 15 years of experience in the industry. He is responsible for game and payment system integration, iGaming product licensing, and B2B certification. Igor is an expert in the gambling sector and game licensing. He keeps a close watch on industry trends and is always open to new ideas that can improve GamingLicensing’s services and help our clients.