In the Czech Republic, Prague secures independence in the administration of gambling regulations following a court decision.
Self-Regulation of Gambling in Prague Districts Allowed by Constitutional Court
Following a ruling by the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, Prague's 57 districts will now have the power to independently regulate gambling activities within their jurisdictions. This decision will permit local authorities to ban or restrict live casino games like poker, roulette, blackjack, and other dice and card games.
The ruling, which took effect from May 7, 2025, and was later updated on May 22, 2025, supports the Czech gambling regulation of 2021, which allows the legal offering of live casino games in Prague, while maintaining a ban on slot machines.
Previously, the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Office for Competition Protection had challenged this regulation, arguing that the guidelines were anti-competitive and lacked clarity. However, the Constitutional Court rejected the appeal, stating that the regulations complied with the Czech Gambling Act of 2016.
As of the time of writing, 41 out of the 57 Prague districts have chosen to ban live casino games entirely, while the rest have imposed restrictions on operating hours. The Court emphasized that the autonomy granted to Prague districts should take into account the concerns of the population regarding gambling, enabling individual decisions to be made based on the district's needs.
However, Judge Milan Hulmák expressed dissenting opinions, stating that there are no grounds to justify different gambling regulations within Prague.
In a separate development, the gambling industry has been under pressure due to a large-scale investigation by the Czech financial authority, which uncovered tax evasion for the years 2021 and 2022. The financial authority demanded around 540 million CZK (approximately 22 million euros) in back taxes from the gambling industry, with affected providers also facing further penalty payments due to false statements made to the tax authority.
The Prague City Council welcomed the ruling of the Czech Constitutional Court, viewing it as an important step towards self-determination for individual districts, allowing better protection of the population.
What about the casino-and-gambling industry in the newly self-regulated Prague districts? The Prague City Council acknowledges the ruling as an essential step towards self-determination, aiming for better protection of the population while questioning, "What could be the implications for casino-and-gambling businesses?"
