The History of Gambling in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic has been experiencing a steady increase in gambling since the early 1990s. There are slot machines, gaming machines and casinos all over the country; therefore, gambling is very popular among Czechs. In addition to this, as the internet expanded and technology became more advanced, online gambling began to gain momentum.
Nevertheless, the way in which the Czech Republic government went about regulating internet gambling attracted strong disapproval from bookies and other European Union member states.
The Global Relations and Financial Policies department of the Ministry of Finance is responsible for all types of gambling in the existing climate.
Licensed Sportsbooks in the Czech Republic
At present, there are five online sportsbooks in Czech Republic that have been licensed by the government. They include Sazka, Synot Tip, Chance, Fortuna and Tipsport. However, these companies can offer both land-based and internet gambling forms and for one to open an online account he should register at any head shop. The move was aimed at ending underage betting and frauds associated with online bookmakers.
Lotteries
The Czech government released new regulations for gambling in 2012 after abrogating the existing Lotteries Act. The new rules stated that foreign operators could legally accept custom from Czech players if they had a physical address within the country.
The new directives were scorned by bookies and found to flout the EU standards, thus forcing the regulators to redraft their draft. The summer of 2013 was initially a target for introducing the new bill; but political complications have led to several delays, hence bookmakers are still awaiting a publication date.
Landmark Case
It is within the legal framework of the Czech Republic that one can gamble on sports online. However, online casino and poker businesses are not permitted in this country. Casino Kartác Group, a Czech gambling firm, sued for damages worth €100 million after it alleged that the unclear and contradictory laws had cost the bookie huge amounts of funds.
Seemingly, the present domestic betting laws in Czech Republic are antithetical. It is either too permissive to disallow or punishes a foreign operator providing services for Czech citizens or it is too harsh for local firms to prosper.
To be sure, the above-discussed corporations are liable to 19% corporation tax and 20% further deduction on their profits. It will not be possible to stop individuals from using online betting websites located in tax havens such as Malta and Gibraltar. This means that domestic firms are faced with an unsustainable situation in the long term if nothing changes.