Prague – 26 February 2019 – Industry media has reported that the land-based gambling industry in Czechia is soaring and just recently the Finance Minister, Alena Schillerová, has declared victory in the battle to restrict, monitor – and collect taxes from – casinos and gaming machine bars. Over the past seven years, she told reporters, the number of casinos has dropped by three-quarters and the number of gaming machines by nearly half, to under 39,000 at last count.

In an interview with Radio.cz, Schillerová told reporters: “I’m definitely very satisfied with how things are going. The Czech Republic has ceased to be a casino in the heart of Europe. Since January 2012, the number of casinos is down from 7,600 to roughly 1,800 – one quarter as many.”

Despite the extensive crackdown, the korunas keep rolling in for the government. Total gambling spend in 2017 and 2018 was up 14% to CZK224bn ($9.9bn; £7.6bn), while revenues were up a more modest 1.1% at CZK39.8bn ($1.77bn; £1.35bn).

Minister Schillerová said this is proof that the Gambling Law of 2017 is working. And while most brick-and-mortar casinos were re-licensed, they are now operating under tougher restrictions which aim to fight addiction – and tax evasion.