Gambling Safely at Fortuna: Account Tools and Where to Turn

What the term means

It is a considered and controlled approach to gambling. Players think before they play, limit the risks linked to excessive gambling and try to prevent an addiction from developing.

What the operator must provide

Under §§ 13 to 16 of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., every operator, including FORTUNA GAME a.s., has to provide players with tools and information for safe play. These include financial and time limits, information about the risks, details of self-exclusion and the protection of minors.

What players can do

Tools alone do not solve everything. Players should monitor how they gamble and pick up the warning signs of problem gambling as early as possible.

Gambling that escapes your control can be recognised by changes in behaviour. You play more often or for larger amounts, go beyond the financial limits you set yourself or borrow money to play, and try to make up losses with another round. Gambling crowds out work, study and family, you hide it from those close to you and you do not stop even when it brings debts or conflicts.

Emotions and health can send signals too. When you are unable to play, you feel restless, irritable or anxious, and your mental or physical condition deteriorates in connection with gambling.

Do you see these changes in yourself or in someone you care about? Do not wait: use the prevention tools or get in touch with professionals.

How can you restrict your gambling at Fortuna? A registered player finds all the necessary tools in their account; the operator offers them under zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.

• Time-out: a break from gambling for 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. While it lasts, you can neither log in nor play. When it ends, the account is active again.
• Time limit: the longest period you may spend gambling in a day or a week.
• Reality check: a regular notice of how much time you have spent playing.
• Loss and bet limit: a cap on net losses or on the total value of bets for a chosen period; once you hit it, the system will not let you continue.
• Deposit limit: a daily, weekly or monthly maximum for payments into the gaming account. After it is used up, no further deposit goes through until the period has passed.

Limits are set, reduced and cancelled in the account. Raising a limit becomes effective only once a protection period of no less than 24 hours has passed.

Registered players have a panic button function ready in the user interface. Whoever activates it is automatically removed from all of the operator's online platforms and will not join any gambling for 48 hours. At the same time the system offers the possibility of submitting a request to be recorded in the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO).

The obligation to offer a panic button has applied since 1 July 2024 to internet gambling and to gaming halls. It is laid down by zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.

A player who no longer wants to gamble does not have to rely on willpower alone. § 16 and § 16b of zákon č. 186/2016 Sb. give them the right to ask the operator to exclude them from gambling, for a certain period or for good.

The request can be made in the user account or through the gambling operator. If the player is added to the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO), the exclusion applies across all operators in the Czech Republic. Deletion from the register only becomes possible after one year.

The Czech Ministry of Finance is in charge of the Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) and keeps it in accordance with zákon č. 186/2016 Sb.

The register contains two groups of people:

1. players who have requested exclusion,
2. persons whom the law itself excludes, for example due to debt enforcement, insolvency or drawing certain benefits.

The operator accepts an application for entry in the user account; it can also be confirmed after activating the panic button. Other options are a message to the ministry's data box or filing in person at Czech POINT.

A person on the list may not gamble with any operator holding a Czech licence.

A gambling operator must know who is playing with it: it checks each player's age and identity, for example via BankID or another verification tool. The reason is zákon č. 186/2016 Sb., under which gambling in the Czech Republic is reserved for people aged 18 and over. Participation by minors is therefore strictly prohibited, and this is monitored at registration and when winnings are withdrawn.

Answer each of the questions below just for yourself, yes or no. The questions come from the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index).

• Have you ever put more money into gambling than you had set aside for it?
• Have you told yourself it would be better to gamble less?
• Do you have a bad conscience about gambling?
• Have you played to win back an earlier loss?
• Have your duties or relationships suffered because of gambling?
• Have people around you told you that you gamble too much?
• Have you ever borrowed to gamble?

Several yes answers are a reason to consider the prevention tools or to turn to professionals. The test is only indicative and cannot replace a professional assessment.

When gambling stops being fun, you do not have to deal with it alone. The National Helpline for Addiction is available free of charge and anonymously on 800 350 000.

You can also turn to Společnost Podané ruce (podaneruce.cz) or to the specialist workplace Clinic of Addictology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague (adiktologie.cz). All of them offer discreet, professional help.

Send any enquiry concerning what this page says, or a request to add to it, to contact@fortuna-bonus.cz.

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.