Can foreign operators get an online gambling licence in Czechia?

Yes. There is no local establishment requirement, but the registered seat must be in Czechia, another EU Member State or an EEA Member State, and servers must be located within the EU or EEA.

How is online gambling taxed in Czechia?

Lotteries and technical games are taxed at 35 per cent of gross gaming revenue. All other gambling types, including odds betting and live games, are taxed at 30 per cent.

Does Czechia block unlicensed gambling sites?

Yes. The Ministry of Finance maintains the List of Unauthorised Internet Games. Internet access providers must block a listed site within 15 days and payment providers must stop executing transactions to listed accounts.

Sovereign state

Europe

ISO CZ

Czechia

Czech Republic

Online casinoRegulated
Online sports bettingRegulated
Online pokerRegulated
Online bingoRegulated
iLotteryRegulated

Regulator: Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic
Headline tax: 35% GGR
Licence required: Yes
Last verified: 4 Aug 2026

Summary

Czechia is the most open of the central European markets. Act No. 186/2016 Coll., on Gambling, administered by the Ministry of Finance, licenses private operators across every recognised gambling type except raffles and small-size tournaments, and all of them may be offered online. There is no state monopoly, no cap on the number of licences and no requirement to establish locally, although the registered seat must sit in the EU or EEA and servers must be located there too. The price of entry is financial rather than structural: ICLG reports a surety deposit starting at CZK 20 million and scaling to CZK 300 million, while CMS reports a minimum of CZK 50 million in own capital. Tax is high by European standards at 35 per cent of gross gaming revenue for lotteries and technical games and 30 per cent for everything else. Enforcement runs through the List of Unauthorised Internet Games, which obliges internet access providers to block listed sites within 15 days and payment providers to stop serving listed accounts.

Key facts

Regulator: Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic (MF CR)
Regulator type: Government ministry
Headline tax: 35% GGR
Licence required: Yes
Minimum age: 18+
Tax base: Gambling tax is charged on the difference between deposits received and winnings paid out plus deposits returned. ICLG and CMS both report 35 per cent for lotteries and technical games, which is the rate that applies to online slots, and 30 per cent for all other gambling types, including odds betting and live games. Unlicensed operation is taxed at 35 per cent. A minimum tax of CZK 13,400 per machine per quarter applies to land-based slots. The headline rate recorded here is the 35 per cent technical games and lottery rate.
Capital: Prague
Currency: CZK
Official languages: Czech

Licensing

Licence required: Yes
Application window: Rolling
Local establishment required: No
Local server required: Not yet verified
Typical time to licence: CMS reports the process usually takes 30 to 60 days depending on the quality of the application.
Barriers to entry: There is no cap on the number of licences, but the financial thresholds are substantial. ICLG reports a surety deposit of CZK 20,000,000 for new applicants, scaling from CZK 20 million to CZK 300 million with prior gambling tax revenue. CMS separately reports a minimum of CZK 50,000,000 in own capital and assets. A local establishment is not required, but the registered seat must be in Czechia, another EU Member State or an EEA Member State, and servers and devices must be located within the EU or EEA.

Licence types

Basic licence (zakladni povoleni)
Scope
Authorises the operation of a specific type of gambling, including over the internet. Granted per gambling type.
Term
Up to 6 years per type of gambling
Initial licence
Scope
The entry authorisation that precedes the basic licence. ICLG reports it has no specified duration and expires when the holder ceases to exist.
Term
Indefinite
Gambling premises location licence
Scope
Land-based only. Authorises a specific gaming venue.
Term
Runs with the basic licence, maximum 3 years

Taxation

Headline GGR tax: 35% GGR
Effective date: Not yet verified
Tax base: Gambling tax is charged on the difference between deposits received and winnings paid out plus deposits returned. ICLG and CMS both report 35 per cent for lotteries and technical games, which is the rate that applies to online slots, and 30 per cent for all other gambling types, including odds betting and live games. Unlicensed operation is taxed at 35 per cent. A minimum tax of CZK 13,400 per machine per quarter applies to land-based slots. The headline rate recorded here is the 35 per cent technical games and lottery rate.

Compliance

Minimum age: 18+
National self-exclusion: Not yet verified
KYC requirements: Not yet verified
Stake limits: Not yet verified

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Yes
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Yes
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Administrative penalties: ICLG 2026 reports licence revocation, fines up to CZK 50,000,000, prohibition of activity for up to two years and forfeiture of items.
Operator liability: The Ministry of Finance maintains the List of Unauthorised Internet Games (Seznam nepovolenych internetovych her), a public register of blocked websites, bank accounts and applications. Internet access providers must prevent access to a listed site within 15 days of publication, and payment providers must stop executing transactions to listed accounts. The public part of the list is published on the Ministry website and was current as at 3 August 2026 when checked.

Outlook

Czechia is in a settled phase. The most extensive amendments since 2017 landed on 1 January 2024 and ICLG reported no material further changes proposed for 2026. The things worth watching are the growth of the blocking list, which the Ministry updates continuously, and whether the 35 per cent rate on technical games starts to show up in channelisation data as online volumes grow.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreign operators get an online gambling licence in Czechia?: Yes. There is no local establishment requirement, but the registered seat must be in Czechia, another EU Member State or an EEA Member State, and servers must be located within the EU or EEA.
How is online gambling taxed in Czechia?: Lotteries and technical games are taxed at 35 per cent of gross gaming revenue. All other gambling types, including odds betting and live games, are taxed at 30 per cent.
Does Czechia block unlicensed gambling sites?: Yes. The Ministry of Finance maintains the List of Unauthorised Internet Games. Internet access providers must block a listed site within 15 days and payment providers must stop executing transactions to listed accounts.

iGT coverage of Czechia

Greentube Moves Into Czech B2C Market With Kingsbet CZ Acquisition

M&A

5 May 2026

Greentube Moves Into Czech B2C Market With Kingsbet CZ Acquisition

Greentube has spent decades supplying content to operators across Europe. Now it is becoming one. The Kingsbet CZ deal marks a meaningful shift in how the Novomatic-owned business is positioning itself for the next phase of European iGaming.

Sources

Hazardni hry (Gambling regulation)
Ministerstvo financi Ceske republiky (Czech Ministry of Finance)
Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
Verejna cast Seznamu nepovolenych internetovych her (Public part of the List of Unauthorised Internet Games)
Ministerstvo financi Ceske republiky (Czech Ministry of Finance)
Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
Gambling Laws and Regulations 2026 - Czech Republic
ICLG (International Comparative Legal Guides)
ICLG reports a surety deposit of CZK 20 million to CZK 300 million for operators; CMS reports a minimum of CZK 50 million in own capital and assets. These are different requirements rather than contradictory figures, and both are recorded in barriersToEntry rather than merged.
Tier 3Accessed 4 Aug 2026
CMS Expert Guide to gambling laws in CEE - Czech Republic
CMS Legal
Tier 3Accessed 4 Aug 2026