GAMBLING INSIDER

The government of Czech Republic has announced its plans to restrict online bonuses and free bets, citing concerns over alleged links between these promotions and problematic gambling.

Last week, the Czech Ministry of Finance issued a document detailing its fears over operators’ bonuses, which it says induces customers to new gambling problems, and thus should be strictly controlled.

“The casinos, appealing to instant and seemingly easy winnings, have become typical not only of the suburbs of the Czech cities, but also of the centres of smaller municipalities, and all of the related socially harmful activities pose a threat to public order and peaceful coexistence,” read the government report.

The report published late August states that the application of the law will be within the jurisdiction of the authority responsible for issuing and implementing permits. It also claims that “given the fact that gambling is an area of business that carries a negative social cost, as it causes pathological gambling and associated undesirable manifestations in a particular part of the population, a new legal framework has been put in place to improve consumer protection, the conditions under which gambling can be run, and not only the conditions relating to the direct provision of gambling, but also related activities such as advertising and others.”

This new legislation fits into the Czech Republic’s overall strict Gaming Act. Earlier this summer, legislators passed this policy which aimed to defend consumers’ rights and protection by controlling players’ spending.