Top Live Casinos in Czech Republic

Also known as Czechia, the Czech Republic is a country located in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the West, Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, and Austria to the south. The country covers an area of around 78,000 square kilometres, and it has a hilly landscape, with a mostly continental climate. The population of the Czech Republic is around 10 million people, and the capital is Prague.

As for the political structure, the Czech Republic is defined as a unitary parliamentary republic, and due to the high-income, advanced economy, it is known as a developed country. The European social model applied in the Czech Republic, together with universal healthcare, and tuition-free university education, make it a welfare state.

It ranks 14th in the World Bank Human Capital Index and 12th in the UN inequality-adjusted human development. It is also known as the 11th safest and most peaceful country, together with ranking 31st in democratic governance. The Czech Republic is a member of many international organizations, such as NATO, the EU, OSCE, OECD, and the CoE.

The country itself is relatively young, it became independent in 1993, so the gambling history is not quite drawn-out, like many countries out there. However, before that independence, the government formed the Law of Lotteries, which remained in force up until 2012, when it was replaced by the Gaming Act, which legalized all forms of gambling in the country.

When looking at the Gaming Act from an online gambling perspective it was far from perfect. This is due to the fact that live casinos had to be present in a land-based form in the country, or partner with another land-based casino in order to be eligible for an online gambling license.

This legislation was further amended in 2016 when it was allowed for live casinos to independently apply for a license by the government. This way, the market was rejuvenated, with foreign live casinos finally having the possibility to offer their services to Czech players.

However, the taxation system is quite high in the Czech Republic, all live casinos are subject to 35% tax on their GGR, and this is why many operators have decided not to apply for a license, mostly the smaller, local ones.

In 2017, the government took a big step back in the online gambling sector, as they made it illegal for live casinos based in the Czech Republic to offer any bonuses or promotions to players.

For this reason, Czech players would rather play their favorite games at foreign live casinos. The good news is that the government is not interested in chasing these individuals, as no players have ever been prosecuted for participating in gambling activities in offshore live casinos.

Online casinos are exploding in popularity in the world, and the Czech Republic is no exception to that. It can be expected that online casinos will become even more popular in the future, as the young population makes up the majority of online gamblers in the country.

The amendments in the Gaming Act in 2017 allowed private entities to apply for a license to offer online gambling services to Czech players, but they need to pay 35% tax of their GGR to the government, and they are not allowed to offer any bonuses and promotions to players.

This is a step back for the country when it comes to the online gambling legislation, and for that reason, gamblers in the Czech Republic now seek offshore online casinos to play their favourite games. This is a problem for the government, as they do not have control over the activities of its citizens, and the possibility of players being subject to fraud is increased this way, there are tons of fraudulent sites looking to extract money from gamblers.

At the moment, the government seems content with the legislation, and they do not intend to change it anytime soon. The EU and the gamblers themselves put pressure on them to make further amendments to the Gaming Act, but with no success so far.

As soon as the government loosens up these restrictions with the bonuses, as well as the taxation system, there will be a surge of new online gambling sites in the country, providing good competition, and giving the government better control over the market.

Most forms of gambling are legal in the Czech Republic, as stated in the 2012 Gaming Act. Land-based casinos are completely legal in the country and every player aged 18 or more can access these establishments.

Gambling is popular in the Czech Republic, with the majority of gamblers being the young population. The biggest casinos are located in Prague, but there are many other high-class casinos in other cities as well. The Czech Republic is also a tourist attraction, so foreign visitors who like to gamble do not miss the opportunity to try their luck while they are visiting the country. Gambling represents a good contributor to the Czech economy.

As for the online gambling sector, it was illegal until 2012, but with the Gaming Act the possibility of applying for a license came up. However, only entities who had land casinos in the country, or partnered with such could apply for a license. This was a stumbling block for most private entities, and after a few years of negotiation and pressure from the government, there were amendments to this legislation in 2017.

Under the new law, all private entities can apply for a license, as long as they fulfill the general conditions set out by the government. There is also a major problem with this legislation, as the taxation system is quite high, live casinos are required to pay 35% tax of their GGR to the government. Also, bonuses and promotions are forbidden for licensed operators.

This is the reason why the Czech market is not that big, and players tend to avoid live casinos that do not offer them any type of promotion, so they try their luck at foreign sites. The Czech government does not prosecute them, so they are free to play at any live casino that accepts players from the Czech Republic.

Live casino games are popular in the Czech Republic, as players have the option of playing with a real dealer, which adds to the excitement of playing the game. The most popular live games in the Czech Republic would be live blackjack, live baccarat, live poker, as well as live roulette.

Live roulette has many versions, so it is no surprise that every player would prefer this game as they can choose which type to play. As mentioned, players play against an actual dealer with whom they can communicate via live chat. Live poker is also highly popular, as it requires skills and luck, which makes it an ever so exciting game to play.

Of course, online gambling sites are best known for their video slots. These games feature 5 reels, 25 paylines, as well as interesting special features. There are thousands of these games for Czech players to choose from. There is also the option to test these games in Demo Mode before deciding to wager.

Progressive slots are also popular to players from the Czech Republic, as these games have jackpots that reach millions that can be won by the players. Other games involve the standard versions of blackjack, roulette, video poker and so on.

The welcome bonus applies to all newly registered players, and the live casino covers the first deposit by the player. This bonus has the most terms and conditions, so make sure to read them before deciding to use it.

Free spins bonuses are simple to use, as players are credited with some amount of free spins on specific slots. All money won will be converted into bonuses that need to be wagered. As is the case with the welcome packages, make sure to read the terms and conditions here also.

Apart from the above-mentioned banking options, there are certain payment methods that Czech players tend to avoid, and those are prepaid vouchers and e-checks. The main reason for it is the slow payment procedures that they have.

These payment options are safe to use, but they have a slow processing time for the withdrawal requests by the players, and it can take up to a month before the request is completed. Every player wishes to have the winning as soon as possible to their account, and these payment methods do not give them that option.