Safer Gambling at Chance Vegas: Limits, Exclusion and Support

Gambling should remain a pastime that the player keeps under control. That is the idea behind responsible gambling: you play deliberately, keep the risks of excessive play low and leave no room for an addiction to develop.

Zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. does not leave all of this to players, however. A gambling operator, and therefore CHANCE a.s. as well, must provide players with:

• the option of setting limits on money and time,
• information about the risks of gambling and how to request self-exclusion,
• protection for minors.

The rest is up to you: by keeping track of your own behaviour, you can spot the warning signs of problem gambling in time.

Problem gambling has fairly clear symptoms, but they are easy to overlook. Here they are, from financial ones to those affecting health:

1. borrowing money to gamble or repeatedly breaching your own spending limits,
2. attempts to recover lost money by gambling further,
3. gambling more frequently or for bigger stakes,
4. neglected obligations at work, at school or in the family,
5. gambling in spite of debt or quarrels,
6. keeping gambling quiet from those closest to you,
7. restlessness, irritation or anxiety when play is not possible,
8. worsening mental or physical health connected with gambling.

Anyone who notices one of these symptoms in themselves or a loved one should consider the preventive tools or contact professional support.

A player account with Chance Vegas contains tools that, under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., serve to monitor and restrict gambling. All registered players have access to them.

1. Time-out. A temporary exclusion from play for a period of your choice: 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. While it runs, you cannot log in or take part in games; when it finishes, the account returns to normal.
2. Deposit limit. The highest amount that can be sent to the gaming account per day, week or month. Once you reach it, you have to wait for the period to end before depositing again.
3. Bet and loss limit. An upper boundary for the value of bets or net losses within the chosen period. Whoever reaches it cannot place another bet or continue playing.
4. Time limit with reality check. The maximum playing time per day or week, combined with regular notifications about the time spent in the game.

A limit can be set, lowered or cancelled in the account. An increase only takes effect after a protection period, that is, after 24 hours at the earliest.

For moments when gambling needs to stop at once, there is the panic button. Under § 16bb of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., gambling operators must offer it from 1 July 2024.

1. You activate the button directly in the user interface; it is available to all registered players.
2. The system excludes you instantly and automatically from all the operator's online platforms.
3. For the following 48 hours you will not take part in any gambling.
4. Along with this, you will be offered the chance to file an application for entry into the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO).

1. Every player has the right to request exclusion from gambling; it follows from zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.
2. The exclusion can be temporary or permanent.
3. The request is submitted in the user account or through the operator.
4. An RVO entry is valid with every gambling operator in the Czech Republic.
5. The register entry can be deleted no sooner than one year after it was made.

Who keeps the register

The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.

Who is entered in it

People who have asked to be excluded, and those excluded by law, such as persons in enforcement proceedings, in insolvency proceedings or receiving certain benefits.

How to apply for entry

• in the user account with the operator,
• by activating the panic button and confirming the application,
• via the data box of the Ministry of Finance (Ministerstvo financí ČR),
• in person through Czech POINT.

What the entry means in practice

A person on the register cannot take part in gambling with any licensed gambling operator in the Czech Republic.

• Age limit: under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., gambling is intended only for people aged 18 and over.
• Verification: the operator checks the age and identity of every player, for example using BankID or another method.
• Checks: participation by minors is strictly prohibited and is verified at registration as well as when winnings are paid out.

The result of this test is only indicative; it does not replace a professional diagnosis. Even so, it can help you see whether it is time to take notice. The questions draw on the PGSI questionnaire (Problem Gambling Severity Index).

1. Does your gambling spending go over what you intended?
2. Does it cross your mind that you should slow down with gambling?
3. Are you troubled by guilt over gambling?
4. Have you tried to catch up on losses by continuing to play?
5. Have you pushed duties or loved ones aside because of gambling?
6. Has anyone pointed out to you that your gambling is a problem?
7. Have you taken a loan so that you could gamble?

If several answers are yes, it is a good idea to use the prevention tools or contact professional help.

Gambling that no longer brings enjoyment is worth discussing with professionals. You can call the National Helpline for Addiction on 800 350 000, anonymously and at no cost.

Another option is Společnost Podané ruce (the organisation's website) or the Clinic of Addictology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, at adiktologie.cz. Both focus on gambling addiction and treat every contact discreetly.

If something on this page needs clarifying or you have a question about its content, please write to us at [email protected].

Gambling is for people aged 18 and over only (18+).

The Ministry of Finance has issued a warning: participating in gambling may give rise to addiction.