Czech Republic to offer online gaming

Wednesday April 16,2014 : CZECH GOVT DRAFTING ONLINE GAMING BILL
 
To boost tax revenue
 
Czech Deputy Finance Minister Ondrej Zavodsky revealed in an interview with Bloomberg this week that the Finance Ministry is in the process of drafting a bill that would boost tax revenue's by permitting all gaming operators in the Czech Republic to offer online gaming.
 
Separate tax rates will apply for different types of gaming to augment the Government's current take of around 8 billion koruna (approx. $400 million) in gaming industry tax revenues per annum.
 
“We need to create an environment that will allow us to tackle hardcore gaming like slots or table games,” Zavodsky said. “The indirect costs for the state stemming from such gambling are several times higher than the revenue it collects. That should be made even.”
 
The draft bill, which is expected to come into force during 2016, is expected to levy a higher tax rate on casinos and slot operators than that of the 20 percent that lottery operators currently pay.