The city of Prague has taken a significant step to curb gambling within its borders, as it moved towards a complete ban on all technical gambling games, including the widely popular slot machines. In a decisive move by the Prague City Council in September 2020, the ban was put into motion, targeting every venue that housed these games, irrespective of whether they had a valid gaming licence.
Initially, the prohibition was scheduled to be fully enforced by 2024. This timeframe was designed to allow venues with existing licences to continue offering their gambling services until the licence expired. The latest licences granted were set to sustain operations until the end of this year.
Towards the twilight of 2020, slot machines remained active within the city; yet, starting from January 2021, there has been a considerable drive to remove these machines, falling in line with the slated legislation. Although some machines lingered on the casino floors until the end of January, their legal operation has since ceased.
The Gambling Regulation Department confirmed, in response to inquiries from iGB, that the ban officially commenced on the 1st of January. This enactment means that slot machines are now illegal in any establishment within Prague. Martin Šabo, the head of the Department, indicated that the authorities had been proactively enforcing the ban since as early as 2021. Venues with lengthier licences have only recently discontinued their operations due to this legislation.
While the restrictions apply to physical slot machine gambling in the city, it is vital to note that gambling in Prague has not come to a complete halt. Slot machines outside the jurisdiction of Prague continue to function legally. Additionally, the ban does not encompass online gaming, which remains available to those within the capital. Albeit, the decree which abolished mechanical gambling devices concurrently introduced tighter regulations on online gambling.
The evolution of online gambling regulations now delineates that any gambling website without the appropriate licensing, and is accessible within the Czech Republic, is considered illegal. This overturns the previous criterion which stated illegal status was only attributed if sites specifically targeted Czech players. The new rule came into effect on December 31, 2023.
Despite this comprehensive legislation, Šabo hinted at the possibility of further amendments to the gambling landscape in the Czech Republic. This is a result of a review by the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (ÚOHS) that found discord between the decree and laws pertaining to competition. Potential fines may lead to additional modifications in the future.
Alas, despite the ban’s full effectuation, there have been instances of non-compliance where venues have persisted with slot machine operations. This has incited responses from customs officials in Prague. A recently concluded investigation revealed an illegal gambling operation in Střížkov, located in the Prague 9 district. During this operation, authorities secured a total of 16 technical gambling machines, alongside machine reset keys and a sum of cash. The overall worth of the confiscated devices amounted to a staggering CK 1.6 million.
Last year’s records show that customs officials executed a total of 76 inspections that led to the discovery of 14 illicit venues. They managed to seize 45 machines as a result. These enforcement actions serve as a strong testament to the authorities’ commitment to eradicate unauthorized gambling activities and uphold the legislative ban that now defines Prague’s stance against gambling.
