At the beginning of May, a public debate on the current state of the gambling market in the Czech Republic took place at the editorial office of Hospodářské noviny. The discussion featured Jan Řehola, Director of the Institute for Gambling Regulation, Tomáš Pintér, Mayor of the town of Planá, and economist Jakub Žofčák from the Centre for Economic and Market Analysis.
One of the key topics of the debate was the rising revenue from gambling, which for the first time exceeded CZK 20 billion last year. The total tax revenue reached CZK 21.4 billion. Despite this, the Czech market is undergoing a significant transformation. Traditional operators such as Rebuy Stars are either closing down or facing serious challenges. As Jan Řehola noted, the Czech Republic is no longer the “casino of Europe” — the number of gaming rooms and casinos has dropped by 95% over the past decade, and there are currently around 20,000 legal slot machines in operation. Gambling is shifting to the online space, where player interest is growing significantly.
The debate also addressed the impacts of blanket gambling bans in some municipalities. According to research by Jakub Žofčák, such measures have not led to a reduction in crime — the problem has merely relocated, often to illegal venues or online. This view was echoed by Tomáš Pintér, whose municipality has chosen the path of strict but functional regulation. According to him, casinos can bring both control and vital financial resources to a municipality — although, following changes in tax revenue distribution, Planá lost up to 80% of this income.
A significant portion of the debate focused on the issue of the black market. According to data from the Institute for Gambling Regulation, illegal gambling in the Czech Republic accounts for up to 30% of the volume of the legal market. Since 2017, more than 1,400 illegal gambling establishments have been uncovered — twice as many as the number of legal operators currently active in the country.
Jan Řehola summed up the key message of the discussion: “High-quality and effective gambling regulation is not about full liberalisation or total prohibition. The goal should be an environment with strict but enforceable rules that protect players while limiting negative social impacts.”
You can read the full article on the Hospodářské noviny website.
Discussion recording:
