Report raises concerns over scale of unlicensed gambling in the Czech Republic
New research suggests that unlicensed gambling may cost the state over €13m in lost tax revenue.
Czech Republic.- A new report has suggested that the Czech Republic is forfeiting more than CZK330m (around €13.6m ) in tax revenue every month due to the activities of unlicensed gambling operators. Research, by Robert Klobuck of the Sociological Institute at the Slovak Academy of Sciences suggests that many people unknowingly placing bets on unlicensed websites.
The 2026 Black Book of Illegal Gambling also includes economic analysis from the Centre for Economic and Market Analysis. It estimates that Czech gamblers lose around CZK14.5bn a year via unlicensed operators, leading to between CZK2.9 and 3.6bn a year in lost in tax revenue for the national government and up to CZK500m a year for municipalities.
The report warns that the cost could be even higher, as illegal gambling also undermines income tax collection and employee contributions.
While there are 27 licensed licensed gambling operators in the Czech Republic, the Black Book report claims that 1,113 unlicensed brands actively targeting Czech players. It estimates that 400,000 Czech players knowingly use unlicensed platforms, while another 400,000 are unsure whether their chosen operator is legal. Search data revealed that the three most popular illegal brands were queried more than 111,000 times in a single month from Czech browsers.
Aleš Rod, chief executive of the Centre for Economic and Market Analysis, said: “Illegal gambling is not only a social problem, but a fundamental economic problem. This uncollected public revenue obviously has its cost. It could finance sports, culture, addiction prevention, reduce debt, or remain in the pockets of taxpayers if it stayed in the official economy with legal operators. Instead, it ends up in the hands of anonymous operators beyond the reach of Czech authorities in tax havens.”
He warned that illegal operators’ high profits mean they can invest in aggressive marketing to expand their market share.
The Institute for the Regulation of Gambling (IPRH) has called for more government action to tackle the black market. Director Jan Řehola said repressive measures are not enough and that there was a need for improved technological tools to block illegal websites along with more streamlined cooperation with banks and payment service providers.
