The Czech Financial Administration has published figures on the gambling market for H1 2026. Total industry turnover amounted to CZK 574.8bn, an increase of 12.6% year on year. Meanwhile, the GGR amounted to approximately CZK 34bn, a 7% growth.
Technical games, which, under Czech terminology, mostly consist of slot machines, accounted for the largest share of turnover at CZK 452.1bn, representing 78.6% of the total.
This vertical’s turnover grew by 12.4%. Operators paid out CZK 432.5bn in winnings from technical games, resulting in GGR of CZK 19.6bn.
Betting took second place with a turnover of CZK 71bn, up 1.5%, and a GGR of CZK 8.2bn.
So-called ‘live games’ turnover, such as roulette, dice and cards, grew the fastest in the first half of the year. It increased by 48% year-on-year to CZK 38.6bn.
Lotteries remain a relatively small segment of gambling. Lottery sales were CZK 13.1bn, representing 2.3% of all gambling wagers.
The Czech gambling industry trade association, the Institute for Regulation of Gambling Games (IPRH), recently called for greater cooperation between regulators, experts, non-profit organisations and gambling operators to strengthen addiction prevention and harm reduction.
Earlier this month, authorities expanded the gambling exclusion register under new welfare rules. Recipients of the recently introduced ‘living allowance’ welfare payment are now automatically barred from legal gambling.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the exclusion register contained 236,228 individuals in July, including around 19,000 who voluntarily requested exclusion. Following the latest changes, the figure has increased to 299,362.
Following a major Czech football integrity scandal earlier this year, the Government is considering joining the Macolin Convention
