Responsible Gambling at Fortuna Vegas

Responsible gambling means playing with awareness and staying in charge of what the game costs in time and money. The point is to hold the risks of excessive play down and not let an addiction take root. Two parties share this task.

• The operator. FORTUNA GAME a.s., like any other gambling operator, is bound by §§ 13 to 16 of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. to put into players' hands the tools and information that make safe play possible: money and time limits, explanations of the risks and of self-exclusion, and safeguards for minors.
• The player. Pays attention to their own conduct and tries to spot the warning signs of problem gambling early.

Problem gambling builds up step by step. Be alert if you notice any of the following in yourself or in a person close to you:

• mind and health: feeling restless, irritable or anxious whenever play is out of reach, or mental or physical health getting worse in connection with gambling;
• relationships: keeping gambling secret from loved ones and carrying on despite the quarrels it brings;
• money: breaking one's own limits again and again, borrowing for play, chasing lost money and gambling on while in debt;
• time and duties: playing ever more often or for bigger stakes while work, studies or family fall behind.

At that point it is time to use the preventive tools or to look for professionals.

In their account, every registered player has at hand the tools that Fortuna Vegas offers under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.:

• Deposit limit (daily, weekly or monthly) says the most you will pay in over the period. Once you use it up, you wait until the new period for the next deposit.
• Bet and loss limit puts a cap on how much you stake in total or how much you lose net over a period of your choice. As soon as you hit the cap, the system allows no further bets or play.
• Time limit fixes how much time a day or a week you give to the game, and the reality check reports at regular intervals how long you have already been playing.
• Time-out cuts you off from logging in and from play for the period you pick, that is 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days; afterwards the account opens again.

Limits can be set, lowered or cancelled right in the account. Raising a limit comes with a protection period of no less than 24 hours.

If you want to stop playing this very moment, use the panic button right in the user interface; every registered player has it. Pressing it means automatic exclusion from all of the operator's online platforms, and for the following 48 hours the player can take part in no gambling at all. Along with that comes an offer to apply for entry in the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO).

Gambling operators have had to provide the panic button since 1 July 2024, as § 16bb of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. requires.

§ 16 and § 16b of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. allow a player to ask, of their own accord, for exclusion from gambling, for a limited time or for good. The request goes in through the user account or with the gambling operator.

The Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) is run by the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. An entry counts with every gambling operator in the country, so the person concerned cannot play with any licensed operator. One ends up in the register either on request or by force of law, for instance during enforcement, while going through insolvency proceedings or while drawing certain benefits.

There are four routes for an application:

1. the user account with the operator,
2. a confirmation once you have pressed the panic button,
3. a data box message to the Ministry of Finance (Ministerstvo financí ČR),
4. a personal visit to Czech POINT.

Deletion from the register can be sought no sooner than 1 year after the entry.

Under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., gambling is open only to people aged 18 and over, and minors are strictly barred from taking part. The operator checks every player's age, for instance through BankID or by another method, when they register and once more when winnings are paid out.

The questions draw on the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index). Give honest answers:

• Does gambling cost you more money than you had planned?
• Do you sense that playing less would do you good?
• Do you reproach yourself for playing?
• Do you go back to the game to recover money you lost?
• Do your obligations or the people around you get pushed aside because of gambling?
• Has someone near you hinted that your gambling is a problem?
• Have you ever taken a loan in order to play?

More than one yes means it pays to use the prevention tools or to talk things over with a specialist. The result gives only a rough picture and is no substitute for a professional diagnosis.

Once gambling stops being entertainment, talking to professionals is a good step. These places help people who have fallen into gambling and treat everyone discreetly:

• Národní linka pro odvykání, the national helpline for quitting, on 800 350 000; calls are free and anonymous;
• Společnost Podané ruce: podaneruce.cz;
• Clinic of Addictology of the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the General University Hospital in Prague (adiktologie.cz).

How do I know it is time to change something?

Take the self-test on this page, set limits for yourself and get advice from professionals, such as the national helpline for quitting at 800 350 000.

Where is the panic button mandatory, and how long does the exclusion run?

Internet game operators and gaming halls have had to offer it since 1 July 2024. It shuts you out of all gambling straight away, for 48 hours.

Which limits does Fortuna Vegas let me use?

Limits on deposits, bets, losses and time, all in the responsible gambling part of your user account.

What are the ways into the RVO?

Your account with the operator, a confirmation after pressing the panic button, a message to the data box of the MF ČR, or a visit to Czech POINT.

Where can I read more?

In the operator's section on responsible gambling and on the website of the Ministry of Finance (Ministerstvo financí ČR).

Can minors play?

No. Play is reserved for people aged 18 or more, and the operator checks age at registration and then when winnings are paid out.

When can I get out of the RVO?

No earlier than 1 year after you were entered.

Questions about this page, or wishes for something to be added, go to contact@vegasplay.cz.

Gambling in the Czech Republic is for adults aged 18 and over only (18+). The Ministry of Finance warns: “Participation in gambling may lead to addiction.”