March 22 - The Czechs are taking a stand against countries differential treatment of local versus international online gambling operations. The Republic's Office for Protection of Economic Competition has stepped up its probe of the Ministry of Finance regulation of sports-betting.
Chairman Martin Pecina stated that is not good that domestic and foreign companies can not benefit from the same conditions on the market.
The current Czech lottery law does not allow local companies to open online betting services. The basis of this is that that they would not be able to confirm if an online bettor is older than 18. This is according to Ministry of Finance spokesman - Jaroslav Ruzek.
While government blocks development of Czech betting firms online, it is not able to prevent foreign online betting companies from offering local gamblers their services.
Lubom?Jezek - spokesman for betting company Tipsport states it is discrimination and that it is crucial that online gambling is either allowed or successfully banned from the market
