The ban on slot machines in Prague is now in effect, according to The Czech Republic’s gambling regulation department. This is after almost four years after being agreed by authorities in the country’s capital city.
The ban has been approved by Prague city council in September 2020. It is applied on all technical gambling games in the capital. The ban includes slot machines, applies to all venues, regardless if they hold a license or not.
The city wide ban is in full effect this 2024.
Slot machines were still in place and operational until December of last year. However, sources in Prague say the removal of the machines from venues has been ongoing since that start of 2023. Some were even still in place up until the end of January 2023.
iGB reached out to the gambling regulation department and received confirmation that the ban came into full effect on January 1, 2024. This means that venues can no longer offer slot machine plays legally.
Martin Sabo, a department director noted that authorities initially began enforcing the ban way back 2021. Nevertheless, those venues that held a longer license was able to continue running machines during that time.
Slot machines are still legal and accessible in licensed venues outside Prague.
Even though the ban only applies to land-based slots and online games in Prague, the same decree led to the machine ban to also update regulations for online gambling.
Recently, online gambling sites without a license were only classed as illegal if they were specifically targeting Czech players. It has been now updated to any website that is active and accessible in the country and without a license. This change came effect last December 31, 2023.
But according to iGB, this may not be the end of changes in the Czech Republic.
