Czech Casino and Card Room Gaming

Casino gambling revolves primarily around slot machines, with approximately 300 slot halls in Prague alone.

There are over 50,000 machines in the country, a number that has been rising by 1,000 annually since the late 1990s, according to the Ministry of Finance. In Prague, a 2020 decree phases out all technical games by 2024, effectively banning classic slot halls in the capital.

To obtain a casino operating license, a CZK 20 million deposit is required as well as CZK 30 million worth of share capital in a joint stock company. A license allows the operator to open an unlimited number of locations. Under the new Act, casino licenses (for live games and technical games) are granted per venue, subject to minimum capital, fit-and-proper tests, mandatory connection to the central monitoring system and municipal consent; concessions no longer give a free right to open unlimited premises.

A slot machine operator must have a minimum of CZK 2 million in a bank account set up for payment of prizes. The license allows the company to operate any number of machines and the tax rate is based on revenue.

In 2007, new government measures were introduced that allowed only companies with capital of at least CZK 100 million to operate VLTs, and the number per establishment, outside of casinos, was capped at four.

In November 2007, the Prague 1 Council resolved to ban slot machines in the city center. Their decision was overruled by the government, citing the fact that machines were regulated only on the national level.

The 2016 Gambling Act ultimately introduced siting rules and municipal consent requirements rather than hard population thresholds, leaving local councils to decide where casinos and gaming halls may operate.