The government of the Czech Republic announced it will launch a gambling exclusion register by mid-2020 in order to prevent problem gambling.
The new mechanism would involve not only players that self-exclude, but also those on welfare, those who are bankrupt, and people who have received treatment for gambling addiction. Anyone listed would be unable to gamble either online or in person.
“We are moving forward in setting up the exclusion register. We will publish technical documentation at the turn of this year and we will start testing after the new year so that this register will be operational in mid-2020,” announced Czech finance minister Alena Schillerová, who earlier this year called for an increase in tax on all vices including lotteries, gambling, and sports betting.
Schillerová added that the Czech Republic’s 2017 gambling act, regulated online gambling in the country for the first time, had been a major success in limiting the ability of black market operators to attract Czech customers.
However, the authorities are concerned about the prevalence of online gambling.
“Currently, all indicators of online gambling are growing. The proportion of online players is increasing, and sports betting is the biggest problem. Young men are particularly at risk of developing problems. This is what our next steps are targeting,” stated Jarmila Vedralová, Czech Republic national drug policy coordinator.
Follow us on