Although the Czech Republic has already instituted a number of legal measures that require gambling operators to create a safe environment for the players, the country’s Institute for Gambling Regulation (IFGR) feels these are not enough. Thus, the Institute is launching a new responsible gaming project in cooperation with several local operators.
The project has several main goals, the biggest one being to keep gambling fun and make it a safe and enjoyable pastime for those players who do not belong to risk groups. Through the project, the IFGR wants to educate the general public about principles of responsible gambling and improve prevention of risky gambling behaviors.
Despite the fact current legal measures are quite strict for licensed operators, these do not always produce desired results. Operators often struggle to recognize changes in players’ behaviors in time to offer them effective advice and protection.
The project seeks to change this situation by developing a software solution capable of detecting high-risk gambling patterns and behaviors.
Several licensed Czech gaming operators have volunteered to participate in the project, including Fortuina, Tipsport, Sazka, and Chance. These operators have signed the Obligations to Responsible Gambling Project, which means that, moving forward, they will readily accept and implement new protective measures that go beyond the current regulation.
The project will also work on building a network of professionals from different fields, including psychologists, financial and legal advisors, and addictologists. The Week of Responsible Gambling is scheduled for November (20 – 27), and it will feature online conferences, training sessions, interactive workshops, and various other activities aimed at achieving the main project goals.
Online Gambling Legislation in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has made some serious headway in terms of regulating the online gambling market in recent years. Certain rules that operators must adhere to have improved the gaming environment, especially for those with potential gambling problems.
However, some points in the current law have caused a lot of disagreement, face-to-face verification being perhaps the biggest one. Namely, players are not able to verify their identity online, but rather have to do it in-person. This is a lot of hassle just to be able to play at an online casino.
While this could work in theory, serving as a deterrent of sorts and lowering the number of those gambling online, the problem is that offshore casinos, i.e. those not licensed in the country, do not require such verifications and are happy to accept Czech players. This is actually one of the topics that the IFGR wrote about as well, warning that the real danger comes from unregulated sites.
Projects such as this one should help further improve the online gambling landscape and make it safer for all players, but in particular for problem gamblers. While different forms of gambling are popular pastimes in the country, it is necessary to protect those most vulnerable, and hopefully, projects such as this one, bringing together authorities, operators, and various experts, will take things in the right direction.
