Fortuna: Responsible Gambling, Limits and Addiction Prevention

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 FORTUNA GAME 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 develops slowly, so it helps to know its typical signs. The first area is money: the player repeatedly overshoots the budget they set, borrows to gamble or tries to recover losses by playing more, which is known as chasing losses. The second area is escalation, meaning the need to gamble more often or for higher sums.

Changes in everyday life are also a warning. The player neglects work, study or family, keeps gambling despite debts or conflicts, and hides it from the people closest to them. Without gambling they tend to be restless, irritable or anxious, and their mental or physical health declines.

Do you recognise some of these signs in yourself or in people close to you? Use the available prevention tools, or reach out for professional help.

Under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., Fortuna offers players several ways to restrict their gambling. All of them are available in the user account, for every registered player.

Financial limits are the foundation. A deposit limit determines how much money can be paid into the gaming account per day, week or month; once it is used up, further deposits are blocked until the period ends. The bet and loss limit works in a similar way: it tracks the total stakes or net loss over a chosen time and stops further play once the threshold is reached.

Time is covered by the time limit, which is the longest period a player may spend gambling per day or week, and by the reality check, which regularly reminds the player how long the session has lasted. Anyone who needs a pause can choose a time-out of 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. During that time it is not possible to log in or play, and afterwards the account is active again.

Limits are set, reduced and cancelled directly in the account. An increase is only possible after a protection period of at least 24 hours.

In § 16bb, zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. requires gambling operators to make a so-called panic button available to players from 1 July 2024. It is a tool that excludes the player from all gambling immediately and temporarily for 48 hours.

The button is part of the user interface and any registered player may use it. As soon as they activate it, they are automatically removed from all the operator's online platforms and cannot take part in gambling for 48 hours. At that same moment they are given the option of applying for entry into the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO).

What you are entitled to

Under § 16 and § 16b of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., every player may ask the operator to exclude them from gambling for a set period or permanently.

Where to apply

In the user account, or through the gambling operator.

What the entry means

Entry into the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) applies across the board to all operators in the Czech Republic. Removal is possible one year after the entry at the earliest.

You can register in the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) in person at Czech POINT, via the Ministry of Finance data box, in your user account with a gambling operator, or by confirming the application after activating the panic button. The ministry keeps the register under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., and besides people who have asked for exclusion themselves, it also lists persons excluded by law, among them people facing enforcement or insolvency proceedings or receiving certain benefits.

Being listed means one thing in practice: no gambling with any licensed operator in the Czech Republic.

1. Age limit: 18 years, as set by zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.
2. Who verifies: the operator, for each player, for example through BankID or another method.
3. When the check happens: at registration and again when a player withdraws winnings.
4. What applies to minors: their participation is strictly prohibited.

An honest answer to the following questions will help you gauge where you stand with gambling. They are adapted from the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index).

• Does your gambling spend exceed the amount you planned?
• Do you sense that it would be good to restrict your gambling?
• Do you reproach yourself for gambling?
• Do you play again so that lost money comes back to you?
• Do you neglect your commitments or the people around you because of gambling?
• Have those around you hinted that you have a gambling problem?
• Have you taken out a loan for gambling?

If you said yes several times, reaching for the prevention tools or talking to a specialist makes sense.

Keep in mind that the result is only a guide and will not replace a professional diagnosis.

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.

Whether you have a question about this page or would like more detail, send it to contact@fortuna-vstup.cz.

What is the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) and how do I get onto it? You are entered by applying through your account with the operator, by activating the panic button, via the data box of the Czech Ministry of Finance or in person at Czech POINT. When can I leave the RVO? Removal is only possible one year after the entry. The panic button: what is it? A tool that excludes you from all gambling straight away for 48 hours. It has been mandatory for operators since 1 July 2024. Which limits can I set at Fortuna? Limits on deposits, bets, losses and the time spent playing. They are set in the user account, in the responsible gambling section. I worry that I have a problem with gambling. What can I do? A self-test can help, as can setting limits or a call to the National Helpline for Addiction on 800 350 000. Can someone who is not yet 18 play? No. Participation by minors is prohibited, and the operator checks it at registration and when winnings are withdrawn. Where can I look for more information? In the responsible gambling section of the operator's website, and on the website of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic.

Gambling is prohibited for anyone under 18. 18+

The statutory warning also applies: according to the Ministry of Finance, gambling may lead to addiction.