Unleashing Local Control: Prague's Gambling Regulations Redefined
Prague's Autonomy Tightened in Gambling Regulation Supreme Court Decision, Czech Republic
The Czech Constitutional Court (Ústavní soud České republiky) made waves in May 2025, granting the city of Prague an exciting newfound freedom: self-regulating gambling activities [Link in English]. Now, the 57 Prague districts can lasso their own rules, deciding the fate of live casino games like poker and roulette as they see fit.
In this new territory, each district can pick and choose their own regulations, including barriers or bans on games of chance like poker, roulette, blackjack, and more. This empowering ruling aligns with the 2021 Czech gambling regulation, legalizing live casino games within Prague while continuing the city-wide ban on slot machines.
The Constitutional Court's ruling ticks all the boxes with the 2016 Czech Gambling Act. Yet, in 2023, a challenge arose from the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Office for Competition Protection (ÚOHS) [Link in English], who argued against the region-specific requirements, claiming they stifled competition and lacked clarity. However, their perspectives were not enough to sway the Constitutional Court, which declined the appeal.
The Czech Gambling Landscape
Licensed gambling companies are greenlit to offer their services in the Czech Republic. These licenses are doled out by the Ministry of Finance (Ministerstvo financí České republiky). In this nation, casino games, sports betting, and lotteries all hold a respected position.
The Czech Republic is also home to a national exclusion register (Rejstřík vyloučených osob)—a system much like the OASIS exclusion system in Germany, which shields individuals battling problematic gambling habits from the entire Czech gambling market.
District-by-District Differences
Currently, 41 out of 57 Prague districts have taken a purist stance, fully banning live casino games from their districts. The remaining districts have placed restrictions mostly on the hours casinos can operate.
The Constitutional Court stressed the importance of considering the concerns of the local populace when it comes to gambling. With this newfound autonomy, each district can make tailored decisions, taking into account the unique needs of its citizens.
Yet, not everyone has embraced these new regulations without a hitch. Judge Milan Hulmák voiced his opposition, stating that there's no substantial justification for the diversity in gambling regulations within Prague.
Recent times have seen the gambling industry under scrutiny, with a substantial investigation by the Czech financial authority. This investigation unveiled evidence of tax evasion dating back to 2021 and 2022. The financial authority demanded a whopping 540 million CZK (around 22 million euros) in unpaid taxes from gambling providers. But, the organizations involved in the shenanigans remain under wraps.
Despite these challenges, the Prague city council applauded the ruling made by the Czech Constitutional Court, welcoming the newfound self-determination for individual districts and the potential increased protection for the public.
What will each Prague district decide regarding gambling regulations now that policy-and-legislation allows for district-by-district differences? Politics surrounding the Czech Gambling Act remains contentious, as evidenced by Judge Milan Hulmák's opposition to the diverse regulations and the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Office for Competition Protection's 2023 challenge. General-news reveals this controversial topic continues to be in the spotlight, with recent investigations into tax evasion within the gambling industry.
