Casinos in Czech Republic

Introduction

Czechia, the eastern European country sometimes called the Czech Republic, has an interesting and fairly complicated gambling history but we’ll break down the important parts of the land casino business here for you. The country has evolved into one of the more prolific gambling hubs in Europe over the past few decades, this is especially true when looking at land casinos in Czechia. Like most other European gambling realms, the casinos there offer everything from slots to table games, and it is home to some of the most highly sought-after gambling experiences in the region.

It wasn’t necessarily an easy feat to rise to the current prestige Czechia holds today. The government has tightened regulations over the last few years as it tries to control the proliferation of gambling while still allowing duly licensed operators to give players a safe and controlled environment to gamble in. One of the most important changes fairly recently was when they passed the Gambling Law of 2017. That law shook up the industry by reducing the number of casinos and gaming machines across the entire country. However as the dust settled it could be seen that Czechia's casino industry still offers a balance of entertainment and regulation, and the casinos are well-run and tightly controlled by law.

History of Gambling

Gambling in Czechia dates back at least to the days of the former Austria-Hungarian Empire when card games and betting were something the nobility of the time took part in quite a bit. It wasn’t until the late 1900s, especially after the fall of communism in 1989, that the gambling industry finally had a chance to really take off in an organized manner. The Velvet Revolution (the end of communist rule), opened the door to new opportunities and one of the important social symbols of the people’s new freedom was the casino.

The gambling industry in Czechia was mostly unregulated in the 1990s, so economic opportunists took advantage of the open fields to invest in and open a vast number of casinos and gaming halls across the country. Gaming centers were so widespread and available that the country became known monolithically as the "Casino of Europe" in the early 2000s. There were quite literally thousands of gaming sites in operation, especially concentrated in border towns where Austrians and Germans could easily access the casinos and gambling halls along with the locals.

Not many people today would suggest such a wide open frontier of unregulated gambling, especially considering how easily organized crime could compromise the industry not to mention the lack of a brake on the potential for Czechs to develop and suffer from gambling problems. The government there started handing down tighter regulations in the 2010s and finally passed the Gambling Law of 2017. The law tightly constricted the number of casinos and gaming machines and made sure the industry would operate under the direct control of regulators to maintain public order and protect vulnerable players in particular but all players in general.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

The primary legal backbone of the Czech gambling industry is the Gambling Act of 2017. The law gives regulators and operators a strict regulatory framework to operate in. Earlier far more lenient laws were replaced and strict licensing requirements were imposed on all gaming operators. The main idea behind the law was to downscale the number of gaming establishments and throttle the proliferation of slot machines. The nearly obscene number of slot machines had become a major concern and hotly debated topic for a few years before the law came into effect. 

The number of casinos in the Czech Republic has dropped drastically since the introduction of these regulations, according to the Ministry of Finance. There were about 7,600 casinos and gambling venues across the country in 2012. The number fell to 1,800 in 2019. That was a powerful reshaping of an out-of-control industry and shows the government's commitment and ability to effectuate change when it's needed. Of course, reducing the number of places slots can be played also limited the number of gaming machines in operation with about half of the estimated 2011 number of 80,000 falling away to leave only 39,000 by 2019.

While we don’t have a precise number of how many slots were in Prague before the law passed, we do know that the 2017 Gambling Law completely banned slots in the capital which is also the country’s biggest city. The ban gave operators and players plenty of time to get used to the notion and didn’t go into full effect until February of 2024.

Advertising is also strictly controlled under the law, so all promotions for gambling are closely monitored. Operators are not allowed to market to vulnerable people such as children and those with gambling problems. Online gambling in Czechia is regulated under the Gambling Act too. Domestic and international operators offering services to Czech players are required to be licensed and comply with regulations.

Popular Spots and Games

Czechia is home to casinos and gambling halls that run the gamut from a corner store with a few machines to palatial casinos that cater to European high rollers who demand discretion and the ultimate in pampering. One of the most well-known casinos is King's Resort in Rozvadov near the German border. King’s Resort houses the biggest poker room in Europe, making it a must-go stop for poker players. Look for big-name and other major tournaments year-round with events on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) circuit lighting up the marquee.

The Grand Arena Complex in Ruzyně is another big casino. It has a huge gaming floor with over 400 slots and other electronic games along with about 140 table games. It’s a luxury complex and attracts players from near and far.

If you prefer your gambling a little more kicked back, the Palasino Group operates three casinos in Czechia: Palasino Excalibur City, Palasino Wullowitz, and Palasino Furth im Wald. They offer a mix of slots, table games, and poker rooms, so everybody is taken care of and they offer a welcome respite if you prefer to play with fewer tourists in the mix.

Despite the recent restrictions on slot machines, several casinos still operate in Prague with traditional table games like blackjack, roulette, and poker. The Banco Casino and Ambassador Casino are among the most well-known Prague gaming venues and they offer a classic casino experience right in the center of town. Banco has Oasis stud poker, blackjack, punto banco, American roulette, and state-of-the-art slots. Banco is the largest casino in the center of Prague.

Other household name brands include Admiral Casinos, with multiple locations around the country, and smaller venues like Atlantis Casino and Atlas Casino. Although the number of casinos has been reduced in recent years, Czechia still offers plenty of variety and options for almost any type of player.

Conclusion

The gambling industry in Czechia has gone through big changes over the past few decades. Where once it was a wilderness of unregulated opportunity with all the good and bad things that come with a status like that, it’s now one of the most tightly controlled gambling markets in Europe. The Gambling Law in 2017 marks an inflection point - from then on it has been a country with fewer gambling opportunities but the industry is now operating under strict guidelines to protect players and maintain public order.

While the Austrian and German border towns with slot halls on every corner no longer pull in tourists for gambling at the level they once did, Czechia is still a popular destination for gamblers. Players come from all around the globe to play at world-class casinos like King’s Resort and the Grand Arena Complex. Low rollers, VIPs, locals, and visitors from out of town or outside the country will find the slots and table games they are after not to mention some of the best poker action in the world.

As time goes by and the country continues to focus on responsible gambling and other regulations, it will always be a safe and sane destination for the traveling gambler.