The Czech Republic's Gambling Industry Trade Organization, the Gambling Regulatory Authority (IPRH), has reported significant inconsistencies in the data regarding Czech consumers' exposure to unlicensed gambling. It has called on the government to clarify the data provided by the customs agency CELNI SPRAVA.
The latest data from CELNI SPRAVA shows that in 2022, black market gambling accounted for only 5% of the total betting amount in the country, which was 54 billion Czech koruna (approximately 2.1 billion euros). IPRH has questioned this figure, estimating that unlicensed gambling accounts for at least 30% of the Czech gambling market.
Jan Řehola, founder and director of IPRH, claims that unlicensed physical casinos alone cause losses of up to 2.1 billion Czech koruna (about 85 million euros) annually to the country. He noted that CELNI SPRAVA has taken action against nearly 1,300 unlicensed physical casinos over the past six years, while the number of licensed casinos has dropped to just 707.
The agency believes that unlicensed gambling has been on the rise due to the shift towards online gambling. It points out that a survey by the Poker and Odds Players Association found that up to 40% of players use illegal online operators, often unintentionally. It states that CELNI SPRAVA only counts sites that offer Czech language services, but many players use sites in other languages.
The gambling reform introduced in 2017 raised tax rates and required live customer verification at authorized physical locations for participation in online gambling, leading several major international gambling operators to leave the Czech Republic. As of 2023, only 11 operators are active in the market, with all but three being domestic companies. IPRH is calling for new reforms from the government.
