Czech court says gambling domain-blocking constitutional

A court has ruled that Czech Republic’s plan to block unauthorized online gambling domains is constitutional.

This month saw the launch of PokerStars.cz, the Czech Republic’s first licensed online poker and casino operator since the country’s new regulated online gambling market took effect on January 1.

While many international operators left the market ahead of the deadline, many others have chosen to carry on as normal, and the government has vowed to target these interlopers by requiring internet service providers (ISP) to block all domains of sites on the Ministry of Finance’s naughty list or face administrative sanction.

But some Czech politicians expressed concern regarding the constitutionality of the domain-blocking plan, particularly as regards to censorship. A group of Senators also claimed it was unfair to force ISPs to bear the costs of online gambling operators’ failure to obtain a Czech license.