Responsible Gambling at Chance Vegas

Playing responsibly means gambling with your eyes open, so that the risk of playing too much stays low and no addiction develops. This is not merely a recommendation. Act No. 186/2016 Coll. obliges gambling operators, CHANCE a.s. among them, to equip players with the tools and information they need to play safely.

In practice there are three parts to this: players can cap their money and their time, they are told about the risks and about how to exclude themselves, and minors are kept away from gambling. Yet the tools work only for someone who actually uses them, keeps an eye on their own behaviour and does not brush warning signs aside.

Trouble tends to show first in how a person behaves:

• you gamble more often, or the stakes keep growing,
• you go over a money limit you gave yourself, or you take loans to keep playing,
• after a loss you play again to get the money back,
• gambling crowds out work, studies or family, and you keep it secret from the people around you,
• you carry on even though gambling leaves you with debts or quarrels,
• when you cannot play, you get restless, irritable or anxious, and gambling is taking a toll on your mental or physical health.

Sound familiar, whether in your own life or in the life of someone you care about? Act now: reach for the prevention tools or get in touch with specialists.

Act No. 186/2016 Coll. assumes that a player can restrict their own gambling. At Chance Vegas the means to do so are part of the user account, available to every registered player:

• Deposit limit: set for a day, a week or a month. When you reach it, your next deposit has to wait for the new period.
• Betting and loss limit: caps the total you can stake, or the net amount you can lose, over a period you choose. At the cap, no further bet is accepted.
• Time limit: decides how much of your day or week may go on gambling, while the reality check pops up at set intervals to tell you how long the session has lasted.
• Time-out: a temporary exclusion lasting 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. Until it runs out, logging in and playing are blocked; afterwards the account works again.

You can set a limit, reduce it or remove it. Raising a limit only takes effect once a cooling-off period of no less than 24 hours has passed.

From 1 July 2024, every operator of online gambling or of a gaming hall has to give players access to a so-called panic button, as required by Section 16bb of Act No. 186/2016 Coll. Any registered player will find it in the user interface. Pressing it has these effects:

1. the player is shut out of all gambling at once, for a limited time,
2. the block applies by itself across every online platform of the operator,
3. no gambling is possible for the next 48 hours,
4. the player is offered, straight away, the chance to apply for a place in the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO).

Players may also exclude themselves, temporarily or for good, on their own initiative. The request goes either through the user account or straight to the gambling operator. The legal basis is Sections 16 and 16b of Act No. 186/2016 Coll.

There are several ways to apply for entry into the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO):

• in person, at any Czech POINT contact office,
• by accepting the offer shown once the panic button has been used,
• through your user account with the gambling operator,
• via a data box message to the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic.

The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic keeps the register under Act No. 186/2016 Coll. Being listed counts with every gambling operator in the country. The register holds not only people who applied themselves but also those excluded by law, for instance people subject to enforcement or insolvency proceedings and recipients of some social benefits. None of them can gamble with a licensed operator in the Czech Republic. A request to be deleted can be made 1 year after entry at the earliest.

Act No. 186/2016 Coll. permits gambling only from 18, and minors are strictly forbidden to take part. That is why the operator has to confirm each player's age and identity, using BankID, for example, or a different verification method. This happens when an account is opened and once more when winnings are paid out.

Take a moment over seven questions drawn from the PGSI, the Problem Gambling Severity Index:

1. Would you like to cut down on your gambling?
2. Have you borrowed money in order to gamble?
3. Do you end up losing more than you planned to spend?
4. Do the people close to you say gambling has become a problem for you?
5. Do you go on gambling to recover your losses?
6. Does gambling leave you feeling guilty?
7. Are your obligations or your relationships suffering because you gamble?

More than one “yes” is a sign that now is the moment for the prevention tools or for specialist help. The test gives only a rough indication and is no substitute for a diagnosis by a professional.

• Phone help that is free and anonymous: the National Helpline for Addiction (Národní linka pro odvykání) on 800 350 000.
• A specialist centre: the Clinic of Addictology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague; see adiktologie.cz.
• More professional support: Společnost Podané ruce at podaneruce.cz.

Get in touch with any of them once gambling is no longer fun. Their help is professional and your privacy is respected.

What is the minimum age for gambling?

18. Anyone younger is barred, and age is verified both when you register and whenever you withdraw winnings.

Where is more detail on responsible gambling available?

The operator's website has a section devoted to it, and the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic publishes information too.

Can I put a cap on deposits or playing time at Chance Vegas?

Yes. Your user account has a responsible gambling area offering limits on deposits, bets, losses and time.

Is there a way to stop playing immediately?

Yes, the panic button. One press bars you from all gambling for 48 hours; offering it has been a duty for operators from 1 July 2024.

How do I apply for the Register of Excluded Persons?

Through your account with the operator, straight after activating the panic button, by data box to the Ministry of Finance, or in person at Czech POINT.

How long must I stay in the RVO at minimum?

Deletion can be requested 1 year after entry at the earliest.

I think I may be addicted. What now?

The self-test and your own limits are a good first step. You can also ring 800 350 000, the National Helpline for Addiction.

Missing something on this page, or not sure what something means? Drop us a line at contact@vegaslabel.com.

The Ministry of Finance warns: “Participation in gambling may lead to addiction.”

The gambling discussed on this page is for adults aged 18 or older only. 18+