Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the Ministry's decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in the Czech Republic.
Since 1 January 2024 the Czech Ministry of Finance licenses online gambling in two steps: an initial permit, then a basic permit that cannot be issued until the first decision takes legal effect. The operator needs equity of at least EUR 2,000,000 and a security deposit of CZK 50,000,000 for online lottery, technical and live games, or CZK 30,000,000 for online betting, totalizator and bingo. The site must be in Czech and the server in the EU or EEA. Unlicensed sites are blocked by Czech internet providers within 15 days of listing.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Czech Republic in brief
Cheap to apply for, expensive to qualify for.
Online gambling in the Czech Republic runs on Act No. 186/2016 Coll., on Gambling, in force since 1 January 2017, with the gambling tax in a companion statute, Act No. 187/2016 Coll. The Ministry of Finance licenses and supervises through Department 73, which also keeps the register of excluded persons and decides which unlicensed internet games to block. Any of the Act's game types may run online: lottery, odds betting, totalizator, bingo, technical games and live games (§ 85). Since Act No. 349/2023 Coll. took effect on 1 January 2024, licensing has two steps - an initial permit, then a basic permit that can be issued only once the initial decision has legal effect. The initial permit carries no administrative fee. The basic permit costs CZK 5,000 to issue and CZK 3,000 to change. The operator may be the Czech state or a corporation seated in the Czech Republic, another EU state or the EEA (§ 6(1)).
The money sits on the balance sheet, not in the fees. § 6(1) requires equity of at least EUR 2,000,000, proven by the financial statements for the period before filing; with a current loss, equity must exceed liabilities. On top comes a security deposit under § 89(5): CZK 50,000,000 for online lottery, technical games and live games, CZK 30,000,000 for online odds betting, totalizator and bingo. A supervisory board or similar control body is compulsory, foreign companies included. The website must be available in Czech, and the server must sit in the EU or EEA (§ 74). For unlicensed operators there is the blacklist: Czech internet providers must block a listed site within 15 days of publication, and payment providers stop serving listed accounts from the 15th day. The Ministry's own FAQ ties the length of the proceedings to the scope of the application, the quality of the documents and the number of files in hand.
Ministry of Finance permits under Act No. 186/2016 Coll., in two steps since 1 January 2024: initial permit, then basic permit. Equity of at least EUR 2M and a deposit of CZK 50M for online casino games or CZK 30M for betting and bingo.
Czech-language site, EU/EEA servers, a compulsory control body. Unlicensed sites blocked within 15 days. Tax on GGR, filed quarterly. Built from our own Prague office.
The two deposit tiers
Online casino games at CZK 50m - or betting and bingo at CZK 30m.
The basic permit is one instrument for every game type, but the deposit is not: it splits the online market into a CZK 50,000,000 tier and a CZK 30,000,000 tier. Both tiers need the EUR 2,000,000 equity and both steps.
Online casino games at CZK 50m - or betting and bingo at CZK 30m.
01 - TECHNICAL AND LIVE GAMES ONLINE
The online casino permit
Technical games - online casino and slots - and live games operated online sit in the top deposit tier together with online lottery: CZK 50,000,000 under § 89(5), on top of the EUR 2,000,000 equity test and a Czech-language site.
Technical games - online casino and slots - and live games operated online sit in the top deposit tier together with online lottery: CZK 50,000,000 under § 89(5), on top of the EUR 2,000,000 equity test and a Czech-language site.
- ✓Technical games: online casino, slots
- ✓Live games operated online
- ✓Deposit CZK 50,000,000
- ✓Equity at least EUR 2,000,000
- ✓Initial permit, then basic permit
- ✓Czech-language site, EU/EEA server
02 - ONLINE BETTING · BINGO
Deposit CZK 30mThe betting permit
Online odds betting, totalizator and bingo sit one tier lower: a CZK 30,000,000 deposit, the same EUR 2,000,000 equity and the same two steps. Odds betting and totalizator at animal races carry CZK 5,000,000.
Online odds betting, totalizator and bingo: a CZK 30m deposit, the same EUR 2M equity and the same two steps.
- ✓Online odds betting
- ✓Online totalizator and bingo
- ✓Deposit CZK 30,000,000
- ✓Animal-race betting: CZK 5,000,000
- ✓Same EUR 2,000,000 equity
- ✓Same two-step procedure
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The initial permit carries no administrative fee and the basic permit CZK 5,000; deposit amounts are confirmed against the text in force since 1 January 2024 and itemised in your quote.
Why the Czech market
A policed market behind a capital test.
Low fees and a working blacklist make the licence worth holding; two of the six points below are the price of entry.
✓
A blacklist that works
The Ministry lists unlicensed websites, bank accounts and apps, and Czech internet and payment providers must act within 15 days. The latest list is dated 30 September 2026.Unlicensed sites blocked within 15 days.
✓
Low administrative fees
No fee to apply for or receive the initial permit. The basic permit costs CZK 5,000 to issue and CZK 3,000 to change.CZK 0 initial, CZK 5,000 basic.
✓
Open to EU and EEA companies
An operator seated in any EU or EEA state can hold the permit (§ 6(1)), with its server anywhere in the EU or EEA.Any EU or EEA company may apply.
✓
State-run player checks
The Ministry provides remote identity and age verification (§ 46) and keeps the register of excluded persons that operators must check before any account is used.Ministry identity and age service.
✓
Warning: capital-heavy
EUR 2,000,000 of equity plus a CZK 50,000,000 deposit for online casino games - the entry ticket, before a single player registers.EUR 2M equity plus CZK 50M.
✓
Warning: no fixed clock
Two permits in sequence since 2024, and the Ministry ties the length of each proceeding to the file's quality and its own caseload. A weak file waits.File quality sets the pace.
How it compares
How the Czech Republic differs from other routes.
The honest comparison: the Czech permit costs little in fees and a great deal in locked-up capital.
Czech Republic vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Czech Republic | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Capital locked in | EUR 2M equity + CZK 30-50M deposit | Germany EUR 5M guarantee · Malta €100k capital |
| Permit fees | None initial · CZK 5,000 basic | Malta €5,000 + €25,000 a year |
| Procedure | Two permits in sequence since 2024 | Single application at the MGA |
| Decision clock | No fixed period | Hungary 120 days · Ukraine 15 working days |
Capital locked in
Czech RepublicEUR 2M equity + CZK 30-50M deposit
Other jurisdictionsGermany EUR 5M guarantee · Malta €100k capital
Permit fees
Czech RepublicNone initial · CZK 5,000 basic
Other jurisdictionsMalta €5,000 + €25,000 a year
Procedure
Czech RepublicTwo permits in sequence since 2024
Other jurisdictionsSingle application at the MGA
Decision clock
Czech RepublicNo fixed period
Other jurisdictionsHungary 120 days · Ukraine 15 working days
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | MF basic permit, two steps | Gambling tax on GGR · rate per product | EUR 2M equity, CZK 30-50M deposit |
 Germany | GGL slots · poker · sports betting | Federal RennwLottG taxes | EUR 5M bank guarantee, EU/EEA seat |
 Hungary | SZTFH remote gambling | Gaming tax + 2.5% supervision | HUF 600M, 5 yrs experience |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR | €100k/€40k capital, approved roles |
Czech RepublicLicense typeMF basic permit, two steps
TaxationGambling tax on GGR · rate per product
RequirementsEUR 2M equity, CZK 30-50M deposit
GermanyLicense typeGGL slots · poker · sports betting
TaxationFederal RennwLottG taxes
RequirementsEUR 5M bank guarantee, EU/EEA seat
HungaryLicense typeSZTFH remote gambling
TaxationGaming tax + 2.5% supervision
RequirementsHUF 600M, 5 yrs experience
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR
Requirements€100k/€40k capital, approved roles
Before you apply
Requirements for the Czech permit.Requirements for the licence.
Department 73 tests the company and its money before the games. A complete Czech file contains the ten items below.
01
Eligible operator - a corporation seated in the Czech Republic, another EU state or an EEA state (§ 6(1)); whether a Czech branch can hold the permit is confirmed per case.
02
Equity - at least EUR 2,000,000, proven by the financial statements for the period immediately before filing; with a current loss, equity must exceed liabilities.
03
Control body - a supervisory board, administrative board or similar body, compulsory for foreign companies too.
04
Ownership and funds - a clear ownership structure naming the beneficial owner, a transparent and legitimate origin of resources, and an AML programme for the operator's AML duties.
05
Audited accounts - financial statements audited and not older than 12 months at filing.
06
Foreign declarations - clean-record and no-debt declarations made before a notary or authority of the foreign state, not before a Czech notary.
07
Security deposit - CZK 50,000,000 for online lottery, technical and live games, CZK 30,000,000 for online betting, totalizator and bingo (§ 89(5)).
08
Czech-language website - the online game may be run only through a webpage available in Czech (§ 74(1)).
09
EU/EEA server - the server must sit in an EU member state or an EEA state (§§ 42(5), 74(2)).
10
Player systems - user accounts with identity and age checks, self-limits set at registration (§§ 15, 76-77) and a check against the register of excluded persons (§ 17).
01
EU/EEA corporate seat.
02
Equity of EUR 2M or more.
03
Supervisory or control body.
04
Clear ownership, clean funds.
05
Audited accounts under 12 months.
06
Foreign declarations sworn abroad.
07
Deposit CZK 30-50M.
08
Czech-language website.
09
Server in the EU/EEA.
10
Accounts, limits, register checks.
Reflects Act No. 186/2016 Coll. as amended by Act No. 349/2023 Coll. and Ministry of Finance guidance as of 2026; section numbers follow the Ministry's English translation of the Act.Act 186/2016 as amended by 349/2023 + MF guidance, 2026.
How it works
From first call to the Ministry's whitelist.
01
Structure and capital
Operator seat in the Czech Republic or the EU/EEA, control body appointed, EUR 2,000,000 equity shown in audited accounts under 12 months old.EUR 2M equity evidenced.
02
Initial permit
First application to the Ministry of Finance, with no administrative fee; ownership, origin of funds and foreign declarations go in the file.No administrative fee.
03
Basic permit
Filed once the initial decision has legal effect, for the game types you will run: CZK 5,000 fee and a CZK 30-50 million deposit.CZK 5,000 fee, deposit lodged.
04
Ministry review
No fixed period - the length follows the scope of the file, its quality and the Ministry's caseload. We plan 9-12 months for both steps.Plan 9-12 months.
05
Whitelist and launch
Listed among legal operators, Czech-language site live on EU/EEA servers, quarterly gambling tax returns running.Listed, live, filing quarterly.
Quick facts
RegulatorMinistry of Finance · Dept 73
Gambling ActNo. 186/2016 Coll.
ProcedureInitial, then basic permit
EquityAt least EUR 2,000,000
Deposit · casino gamesCZK 50,000,000
Deposit · betting, bingoCZK 30,000,000
Basic permit feeCZK 5,000
Realistic timeline9-12 months (our planning)
With no fixed clock, the Czech file moves at the speed of its weakest document - we finish the capital evidence and the foreign declarations before the initial application goes in.
On the ground in the Czech Republic
Run from our own Prague office.
Prifinance - Czech Republic
Prague · Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov, Prague
01
Capital and deposit
EUR 2,000,000 equity shown in the last audited accounts and the CZK 30-50 million deposit arranged before the basic permit, not after.Planned before the basic permit.
02
Both permits, in sequence
Initial permit first, basic permit once the first decision has legal effect - both files drafted and defended from Vlkova 532/8 in Prague.Drafted and defended in Prague.
03
Czech-language product
Site, terms and player messages in Czech, servers placed in the EU or EEA, and the Ministry's identity and age service wired in.Site in Czech, EU/EEA servers.
04
Exclusions and limits
Register checks, self-limits at registration and the August 2026 bar on recipients of the new social benefit with a subsistence component, and their households, built into onboarding.Register checks and self-limits built.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in the Czech Republic.
Gambling tax falls on gross gaming revenue and is filed quarterly. The 2026 rate for your product is confirmed in the quote.
Tax on gross gaming revenue
Act No. 187/2016 Coll. § 3(1) taxes stakes received minus winnings paid and stakes returned, with separate items for games operated over the internet.Stakes less winnings and refunds.
Quarterly returns
The tax period is the calendar quarter and the return is due within 25 days after it ends. The Financial Administration collects the tax.Due within 25 days.
Rate by product
The 2026 rate for technical games, live games, betting and bingo is confirmed with the Financial Administration and written into your quote before you commit.Confirmed in the quote.
Unchanged since 2024
The last amending act listed for Act No. 187/2016 Coll. is No. 349/2023 Coll., the budget-consolidation act in force since 1 January 2024.Last amended by 349/2023.
Deposit: security, not a fee
The CZK 30,000,000 or 50,000,000 deposit is held as security, so the funding plan has to carry it from the basic permit onward.Security, not a fee.
Permit fees in thousands
No fee for the initial permit, CZK 5,000 to issue the basic permit and CZK 3,000 to change it.CZK 0 and CZK 5,000.
Tax summary
Gambling tax baseGGR - stakes less winnings and refunds
FilingQuarterly · within 25 days
Rate for your productConfirmed in the quote
Tax law in forceAct 187/2016 as of 1.1.2024
Permit feesCZK 0 initial · CZK 5,000 basic
*As of 2026 per Act No. 187/2016 Coll. on Gambling Tax and the Financial Administration. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Czech or EU/EEA company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Czech Republic · MF
Launch your gaming project in the Czech Republic with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the equity test and the deposit to both Ministry permits, the Czech-language site and quarterly tax returns - run through our own Prague office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the Czech Republic the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Czech gaming permit, answered.
Who licenses online gambling in the Czech Republic?+
The Ministry of Finance, through Department 73, which runs the licensing proceedings and supervision, keeps the register of excluded persons and decides which unlicensed internet games to block. The Financial Administration collects the gambling tax.
What are the initial and basic permits?+
Since 1 January 2024, under Act No. 349/2023 Coll., licensing runs in two steps: an initial permit, then a basic permit for the games you operate. The basic permit can be issued only after the initial decision takes legal effect. We confirm the term of each with the Ministry before quoting.
How much capital is required?+
Equity of at least EUR 2,000,000, proven by the financial statements for the period immediately before the application; if the current result is a loss, equity must exceed liabilities. The security deposit comes on top.
How large is the security deposit?+
CZK 50,000,000 for online lottery, technical games and live games, CZK 30,000,000 for online odds betting, totalizator and bingo, and CZK 5,000,000 for odds betting and totalizator at animal races (§ 89(5)). We confirm the amount for your game mix before quoting.
Can a foreign company apply?+
Yes, if it is seated in another EU or EEA state (§ 6(1)), with a supervisory or similar control body and foreign declarations made before that state's notary or authority. Whether a Czech branch can hold the permit is confirmed per case.
Do the site and servers have to be in the Czech Republic?+
The server may sit anywhere in the EU or EEA (§§ 42(5), 74(2)). The website, though, must be available in Czech (§ 74(1)), and players register through user accounts with identity and age checks.
How long does licensing take?+
There is no fixed period: the Ministry's FAQ ties the length of the proceedings to the scope of the application, the quality of the documents and the number of applications in hand. We plan 9-12 months for both steps, and a complete file is what shortens it.
How is gambling taxed?+
Under Act No. 187/2016 Coll., on gross gaming revenue - stakes received minus winnings paid and stakes returned - with quarterly returns due within 25 days. We confirm the 2026 rate for your product with the Financial Administration before quoting.
Czech Republic or Malta for an EU operator?+
Malta, if you need one licence for many markets: €25,000 a year, €100,000 capital for casino types and the industry's best-known stamp. It does not open the Czech market, where unlicensed sites are blocked within 15 days; Czech players need the Ministry's permit and its EUR 2,000,000 equity test.
Why Prifinance for the Czech Republic?+
Because the file is prepared here: our own Prague office at Vlkova 532/8 drafts both permits in Czech, plans the equity and the deposit with your finance team, and answers the Ministry's questions locally.
Regulator?+
Ministry of Finance, Dept 73.
Two permits?+
Initial first, then basic.
Capital?+
Equity of EUR 2M or more.
Deposit?+
CZK 50M casino, CZK 30M betting.
Foreign company?+
Yes, if seated in the EU/EEA.
Site and servers?+
Czech site, EU/EEA server.
How long?+
No fixed period; plan 9-12 months.
Tax?+
On GGR, quarterly; rate in quote.
Or Malta?+
Malta for reach; Czech permit for Czech players.
Why you?+
Our own Prague office.
Client notes
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Start today
One message away from your Czech gambling licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: whether your group passes the Czech equity test, and which deposit tier your games fall into.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.