Alex Smith
Sophia NovakivskaRegulator: MF ČRPlayers: legalLicensed market under Act 186/2016 since 2017, with a Ministry of Finance blocking list of unlicensed sites.
Gambling in the Czech Republic is governed by Act No. 186/2016 Coll. on gambling, in force since 1 January 2017, and supervised by the Ministry of Finance (the Celní úřad v Plzni handles offences involving online games). Online games need a Czech basic permit; the Ministry publishes a list of legal operators and a blacklist of unlicensed internet games, which providers must block. The Ministry kept adding sites to the blacklist through October 2026.
At a glance
- Legal for players
- Players: legal Legal for players at operators holding a Czech basic permit; unlicensed sites are blacklisted and blocked.
- Licence types
- Initial permit, basic permit (online games), gaming-space permit and notification
- Who is punished
- Operators, intermediaries (internet and payment providers) and promoters. The pages I read name no fine for players of unlicensed online games.
- Penalties
- Fines up to CZK 50m for licensed operators; up to CZK 1m for unlicensed offering and for ISPs or payment providers ignoring the blocking list; website and payment blocking; activity bans up to 2 years
- Winnings tax
- Winnings tax-exempt up to CZK 50,000 a year per game type (since 2024); above that, taxed as income
Law-change timeline
- Gambling Act 186/2016 Coll. promulgated (Coll. 71/2016); effective 1 January 2017
- Ministry of Finance opens its first proceedings to put an unlicensed online operator on the blocking list
- Constitutional Court upholds the Act's internet blocking provisions after a petition by 22 senators
- Annual tax exemption limit for gambling winnings cut from CZK 1,000,000 to CZK 50,000 per game type
- Ministry warns influencers that promoting unlicensed online gambling is prohibited
Enforcement (6)
| Date | Who | Penalty | Why | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-81) | Notice of intent to add to the blocking list | Offering online games without a Czech permit | notice | |
| Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-79) | Notice of intent to add to the blocking list | Offering online games without a Czech permit | notice | |
| Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-77) | Notice of intent to add to the blocking list | Offering online games without a Czech permit | notice | |
| Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-75) | Notice of intent to add to the blocking list | Offering online games without a Czech permit | notice | |
| Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-73) | Notice of intent to add to the blocking list | Offering online games without a Czech permit | notice | |
| Unlicensed online operator based in Gibraltar (unnamed) | First proceedings to add to the blocking list | Targeting Czech players without a basic permit | notice |
Regulator
Sources
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Ministry warns influencers that promoting unlicensed online gambling is prohibited · mf.gov.cz · checked
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Annual tax exemption limit for gambling winnings cut from CZK 1,000,000 to CZK 50,000 per game type · financnisprava.gov.cz · checked
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Constitutional Court upholds the Act's internet blocking provisions after a petition by 22 senators · echo24.cz · checked
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Ministry of Finance opens its first proceedings to put an unlicensed online operator on the blocking list · mf.gov.cz · checked
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Gambling Act 186/2016 Coll. promulgated (Coll. 71/2016); effective 1 January 2017 · zakonyprolidi.cz · checked
- Ministerstvo financí (odbor Hazardní hry) — Unnamed unlicensed online operator(s) (notice ref. MF-144/2026/7303-81) · mf.gov.cz · checked