Casino sites in the Czech Republic

Population: 10,580,000
Active players: 1,600,000
Currency: Czech Koruna
Regulated gambling products: slot machines, casino games, sports betting, poker, lotteries
Operator types: licensed & non-licensed online casinos
Designated authority: Czech Republic Ministry of Finance
Status: Regulated

The Czech Republic is a country rich in history and stunning landscapes that holds a fairly liberal view on how the state should interfere with its citizens’ daily life. This might explain why the Czechs can freely enjoy gambling as there are more than 150 casinos and 55,000 slot machine terminals scattered around Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. This hands-off approach on land-based gambling, unfortunately, is not matched by laissez-faire policies on online casinos and betting sites as the Czech Republic Ministry of Finance continues to vilify internet gambling. Regardless, Czechs are widely accepted on a great number of foreign casino sites who in many cases offer a highly localized product, by accepting the Czech Koruna and letting their players navigate in Czech.

Czech Republic online gambling facts

• Gambling online is tax-free in the Czech Republic
• Players younger than 18 years old are not allowed to sign up on casino sites
• The Česká Republika has the highest number of slot machines per capita in Europe
• Despite harsh criticism from the European Commission the Czech government has refused to amend the existing Gambling Act

Best online casino in the Czech Republic

Online casinos in Czechia

Similar to its Slavic neighbors, the Czech Republic is plagued by high operator taxes and favoritism towards land-based casinos. These reach up to 35% on Gross Gaming Revenue and are requested atop a licensing fee of €1,800,000. Other prerequisites include being headquartered within an EU or EEA country, holding equity surpassing €2,000,000,  and taking special care to display clear warnings over the dangers of gambling. In order to combat the influence of international online casinos in the Czech Republic, the government has instituted ISP and payment service blocks towards unlicensed operators.

Online casino Czech players

In many ways, playing on an online casino in the Czech Republic is easier compared to visiting a brick-and-mortar casino or hitting the slots on any gaming premises. This is due to the fact that it is far simpler to verify your account, as all that’s required is an ID and proof of address. Furthermore, there are far fewer limitations on your maximum deposit & winning limits while players can also benefit from various bonus and freespin offers. You are not required to pay any gambling taxes and to quell any fears, there have not been any instances of being legally prosecuted if you choose to play on an unlicensed Czech casino site. In order to bypass the ISP blocks that have been placed by the Ministerstva Financí České Republiky, several players are utilizing VPN’s to access their favorite gambling websites.

Online casino česká payment methods

Paying online in the Czech Republic is similar to most European Union countries where credit and debit cards like Mastercard and Visa are frequently used and accepted on online casinos. Of course, electronic wallets like Skrill and Neteller are also available, while more localized payment systems like Payu and ComGate (formerly AGMO) are only accepted on international casino sites like William Hill and Royal Panda.

Mobile payments like mPlatba are also widely used, with Winmasters being among mobile casino sites in Česká Republika. During the past two years, we’ve seen a surge of popularity in the use of Boku, Klarna and Trustly among local players due to their compatibility with local banks and wide acceptance on internet casinos in Czechia.

Play on the top online casino for Czech players

Gambling online in the Czech Republic is far from being adequately regulated as there are a number of thorns in the side of both casino sites and players. The government seems fixated on protecting land-based casinos by requesting 35% on GGR from their online counterparts and setting various hindrances on how freely internet operators can offer their games. This, in turn, has resulted in very few online casinos applying for a local license and instead opting to either stop accepting Czech players or continue operating without complying to the MFČR requests.

Seeing how easy it is to bypass ISP blocks and how the Czech Finance Ministry is struggling to collect fines from unlicensed casino sites who accept local gamblers, it is now clear that a massive overhaul is due to the existing Czech Gambling Act.

What I see as the key problems with the existing regulation include:

• High taxes. These hurt both the operators who are not willing to legally invest in the Czech Republic and the players, especially on sports betting, as their odds are significantly lowered.
• Complex licensing requirements. Although I understand why the Ministry of Finance will only allow EU and EEA based casino sites within their borders, there is no reason why they should require their complete brand ownership status.
• Winning limits. Act § 52 of the Czech Gambling Act states that a win on any betting round cannot exceed CZK 500,000. This might seem right and proper at first sight, however, given that the maximum allowed stake stands at CZK 1,000 means that any high roller in his right mind will stay away from licensed casino sites. Additionally, gambling on jackpot or high paying slots is impractical, to say the least, as players are unable to collect on their full winnings.

The Czech government needs to start thinking long-term and understand the benefits of correct internet gambling regulation. Not only will players be safer by enjoying fully licensed casino sites that are accountable for their actions, but gambling tax revenues will also be significantly increased, as more and more operators will be happy to invest in such a lucrative market like the Czech Republic.