Czech Republic: proposed changes to betting game laws

Czech Republic

The Czech Ministry of Finance is reported to be planning changes to the regulation of betting games.

Details of the changes, which have not yet been published but are already provoking much discussion, are expected to include:

  • allowing businesses within the EU to run betting games in the Czech Republic (currently only Czech companies with Czech shareholders can do so)
  • prohibiting online betting games (there are currently no specific provisions)
  • permitting IP addresses of websites operating online betting games to be blocked
  • prohibiting banks (and other institutions) from handling payments for online betting
  • prohibiting the advertising of online betting and other banned forms of betting games
  • increasing penalties for non-compliance, with fines in serious cases increasing to a maximum of CZK 50 million (c € 1.6 million)

Law: proposed amendment to Act No. 202/1990 Coll. on Lotteries and Other Similar Games