Prague Moves to Ban All Slot Machines

Prague City Hall, the governing council of the Czech Republic capital, is likely to ban all slot machines by next year. A new bill to ban electronic machines is already in the draft state. However, how to replace the revenue that the government perceives from the slot machine is the million dollar question.

Prague City Hall is drafting an amendment to the Gambling Decree, which ban the operation of gaming machines in Prague. Councilor Hana Kordova Marvanová said that the reason for the change is that the current wording prohibiting only gambling clubs, in general, is not sufficient.

Authorities in Prague claim that operators have moved the machines to casinos whose operation is permitted. The municipality consulted the city districts on the draft amendment, and according to the Councilor, most of them agreed. The amendment to the decree will be completed by the end of January and Prague representatives could discuss it in March or April.

“The last decree on gambling regulation is from 2015. Unfortunately, it did not limit the number of casino gambling rooms, but in fact, they are only slot machines where almost anyone can play day and night except for short breaks. Slot machines are a bad sign for the city because they are the most addictive and are linked to all sorts of crime, so it is both a social and security risk,” said Marvanová.

“I am aware that this will deprive boroughs of a significant portion of their income to finance sports and similar activities. That is why I also want the City to compensate for this loss of income for the boroughs so that no borough is motivated to keep the gambling clubs just for money,” added Marvanová.