Who among us hasn’t imagined at least once what it would be like to win the grand prize in the lottery? All the experiences that a fabulous win could bring. The doors that could be opened. The countless joyful smiles that could be created. However, multi-million winnings often bring a lot of pain and disappointment in addition to the good. From newspaper headlines and TV reports, we know the story of many an unfortunate person whose sudden wealth had a negative impact. Not everyone can handle such a situation.
Definition of lottery
A lottery and similar games refer to a game voluntarily participated in by a natural person who pays a stake, the return of which is not guaranteed to the participant. Winning or losing is determined by chance or an unknown circumstance in advance, which must not be known to anyone beforehand and must not be influenced in any way by the operator or the bettor.
According to the Gambling Act, which came into effect in 2017, a lottery is understood as a numerical lottery, monetary lottery, prize lottery, and instant lottery.
- Numerical lottery refers to a game where winning is conditioned by guessing a certain number, several numbers, a combination of numbers, or a numerical sequence. Among the best-known numerical lotteries are Sportka, Eurojackpot, Extra renta, and others.
- Monetary and prize lottery refer to a gambling game where winning is conditioned by the drawing of a specific ticket. In monetary and prize lotteries, a certain number of tickets with serial numbers are issued by the operator. If the tickets are divided into several series, each series must contain the same number of tickets, and each ticket must be marked with both a serial number and a series designation. The selling price of a ticket in each lottery must be the same across all series. All issued tickets are included in the draw.
- Instant lottery refers to a gambling game where winning is conditioned by a winning combination after scratching the covered part of the ticket. In an instant lottery, the bettor immediately learns about a possible win on the marked and covered part of the ticket after uncovering it.
Aggregate prize amount and probability
The Gambling Act mandates conditions for prize payouts for companies operating lotteries, and for monetary, prize, and instant lotteries (scratch cards), even the maximum probability of winning (Act No. 186/2016 Coll., §21):
-
-
The aggregate prize amount must not be less than 40% and more than 80% of the game deposit.
-
The game deposit in a numerical lottery is the product of the number of bets placed and the stake amount for the placed bet, which may be supplemented by unachieved winnings from previous betting periods.
-
The game deposit in a monetary, prize, or instant lottery is the product of the number of issued tickets and the selling price for one ticket.
-
The probability of winning in a monetary, prize, or instant lottery must not be less than 1:200.
-
A glimpse into history
On the internet, one can find mentions of written records proving a certain form of lottery in China around 200 BC. However, we can reasonably assume that the first human experience with gambling resembling a lottery is much older.
Among the playful nations of Europe were the Romans. Around the beginning of our era, they helped finance necessary repairs in Rome with lottery proceeds. This tradition was continued by cities located in today’s Belgium and the Netherlands, where, according to preserved records, financial prizes were first competed for in the 15th century. Incidentally, the oldest functioning lottery, with a tradition dating back to 1726, is the Dutch state Staatsloterij.
The oldest and also the largest lottery company in the Czech Republic is Sazka, which began operations in 1956. The legendary numerical lottery Sportka was first drawn in 1957. SAZKA Group a.s., under which Sazka a.s. falls, was renamed Allwyn International a.s. in 2022, which falls under Allwyn AG. The entire lottery group is owned by the investment group KKCG founded by Czech businessman Karel Komárek.
List of licensed online lottery operators by MF
Currently, there are a total of six licensed operators in the domestic online lottery market, with the only company offering exclusively lotteries being Loterie Korunka. The remaining five providers also offer other forms of gambling, such as sports betting or online casinos.
The most prominent name among Czech lottery companies is the aforementioned Sazka. Its offerings include the most popular lotteries Sportka, Šťastných 10, and Eurojackpot. A major advantage of today’s times is the ability to participate in the draw for million-dollar prizes online. As a new client, you also have the opportunity to receive a pleasant welcome bonus when registering online.
 |
Sazka |
€10 free for lotteries upon registration | Claim bonus |
 |
Korunka |
€15 free for completing registration | Claim bonus |
 |
Fortuna |
€15 free for completing registration | Claim bonus |
 |
Tipsport |
€15 free for completing registration | Claim bonus |
 |
Chance |
€10 free for completing registration | Claim bonus |
 |
Casino Kartáč |
€20 free + 100 FS for completing registration | Claim bonus |
Traditional lotteries vs. rapid lotteries
Within numerical lotteries, we can distinguish two basic types – traditional and rapid. Traditional lotteries are characterized by drawings at pre-determined regular intervals (e.g., once a day, twice a week, etc.), and the ticket can be submitted online or physically at a collection point (e.g., Sazka terminals, Fortuna branches, Chance branches, Tipsport branches). Examples of this type of lottery include Sportka and Eurojackpot.
Rapid lotteries have their own category “Rapid lotteries” on the operator’s website and drawings take place virtually continuously throughout the day (e.g., Sazka’s Rychlá 6 is drawn every 5 minutes; Fortuna’s Next 6 is drawn every 12 seconds!). The difference is also in the amount of rewards at stake. In rapid lotteries, the prizes are significantly lower.
Popular traditional lotteries
We have already mentioned that the main difference between traditional and rapid lotteries is the frequency of drawings and the amount of winnings. Given the size of the prizes in individual lotteries, we can also observe a difference within traditional lotteries. The most generous ones that can change your life 180 degrees (e.g., Sportka and Eurojackpot) offer jackpots worth hundreds of millions to billions and are drawn 2-3 times a week (occasionally there are also additional special draws).
On the other hand, there is, for example, Loterie Korunka, which is drawn twice a day. Twice a day, millions are also played in popular lotteries from Fortuna (3 z 21, 20 z 80, or Trojka).
 Eurojackpot |
€100 millionRecord Czech win
|
Bet now
Eurojackpot review |
 Sportka |
€16 millionRecord win
|
Sportka review |
 Extra renta |
€2 millionMain prize
|
Extra renta review |
 Šťastných 10 |
€2 millionRecord win
|
Šťastných 10 review |
 Euromiliony |
€5 millionRecord win
|
Euromiliony review |
 Korunka Kombi |
€0.5 millionMain prize
|
Korunka Kombi review |
 Korunka Šestka |
€0.5 millionMain prize
|
Korunka Šestka review |
 Fortuna loterie 3 z 21 |
1000x stakeMain prize
|
Bet now
3 z 21 review |
 Fortuna loterie Meloun |
€40,000Main prize
|
Bet now
Meloun review |
 Gigajackpot Kasino Kartáč |
€4 billionLargest jackpot in the world
|
Bet now
Gigajackpot review |
Popular rapid lotteries
The so-called rapid lotteries do not have as long a tradition as traditional lotteries, but they are no less popular. They are drawn exclusively online and the main promoters are Sazka, Fortuna, and Casino Kartáč. The current offer can be found on their websites in the “Rapid lotteries” section. These lotteries do not offer as generous prizes as traditional ones, but you can participate in them whenever you feel like it. Drawings take place all day with intervals of a few minutes, in some cases even a few seconds! You can even play multiple lotteries simultaneously! Some drawings can even be watched in real-time thanks to online streams. Let’s introduce some representatives now.
 |
Kameny – Sazka
|
Bet now
Kameny review |
 |
Keno – Sazka€40,000 main prize
|
Bet now
Keno review |
 |
Rychlá 6 – Sazka€250,000 main prize
|
Bet now
Rychlá 6 review |
 |
Lucky X – Fortuna€200,000 main prize
|
Bet now
Lucky X review |
 |
Next 6 – Fortuna850x stake main prize
|
Bet now
Next Six review |
Instant lotteries = scratch cards
Within the categorization of lotteries, we can also distinguish so-called instant lotteries, which is the designation for scratch cards. They are called instant because you know the result immediately after scratching the play area. This is also their biggest attraction, which draws in new customers. In this form of lottery, it is interesting that women have a much larger representation than in any other form of gambling. According to surveys, they even buy scratch cards more often than men.
The range of scratch cards is varied. Differences can be found not only in the purchase price (from a few crowns to several hundred per card) and declared reward but also in design and thematic execution. The highest interest in them is traditionally during Christmas, when people gift them to their loved ones.
The largest producer of scratch cards is the company Sazka, whose products you can find in tobacconists, on the internet, and at Czech Post branches. Among the best-known scratch cards are, for example, Rentiér, Zlatá rybka, or Černá perla. Sazka is currently the only Czech operator whose scratch cards you can buy and scratch online. The advantage is also the possibility to try all scratch cards in the so-called demo mode for fun. Scratch cards from other companies (Korunka, Tipsport, Euro Queen, Fortuna) can only be purchased in physical form at sales points.
 |
Maxi Černá perla
|
Scratch online |
 |
Zlatá rybka€40,000 main prize + car; holiday Price of the scratch card €2 |
Scratch online |
 |
Mega Rentiér€200,000 immediately + €4,000 monthly for five years Price of the scratch card €8 |
Scratch online |
 |
Cash€80,000 main prize Price of the scratch card €2 |
Scratch online |
 |
Mates€4,000 main prize Price of the scratch card €2 |
Scratch online |
Online lotteries vs. offline lotteries
If you have read carefully, you certainly noticed that nowadays it is possible to secure a life-changing win from the comfort of your home. Simply put, most numerical lotteries can be participated in online. This provides participants with a number of advantages, primarily saving a lot of time. Basically, you just need to become a customer of the company whose lottery you are interested in, upload money to your user account, and fill out the lottery ticket (you can choose the numbers yourself or leave it to chance). An online ticket also eliminates the fear of losing the ticket. The ticket is simply saved for you and you have 24/7 access to it.
General procedure for registering with lottery companies
The first step to participating in an online lottery is registering your account. On the company’s website, first fill out the registration form with the required personal information. Then verify your phone, email, payment method (may vary slightly between companies), and identity (can be done via bank identity or in person at one of the branches). For legislative reasons, verification also includes setting self-restricting limits. You usually have 30 days to confirm your identity. During this time, you have a so-called temporary account (this does not prevent you from participating in the draws). After registration, simply deposit money into the created account and place your ticket.
Detailed instructions for registering with individual companies
- Sazka registration
- Fortuna registration
- Tipsport registration
- Chance registration
- Casino Kartáč registration
- Loterie Korunka
- Instant access to lotteries
- You can bet from the comfort of your home
- Your tickets are always available
- You can set up automatic ticket betting for future draws
- Immediate crediting of winnings to the account (individual approach for high amounts)
- Possibility to participate in so-called rapid lotteries
- Account with multiple companies (greater selection)
- Access to other sections (online casino, sports betting, scratch cards)
- Free bonus for registration
- Welcome bonus
Lottery tax
Lottery winnings are taxed like other income. As of January 1, 2024, the exemption limit for gambling winnings from taxes has been reduced from the original million to €2,000. Newly, all winnings exceeding this limit will be subject to a withholding tax of 15%. However, players do not incur any obligation to pay or report these incomes, as the lottery company will directly reduce the win by the tax and remit the corresponding tax on their behalf.
Individual winnings within one tax period are not summed up, which means that each win is taxed separately. So if in one tax period you win on three lottery tickets successively €1,600, €1,200, and €1,600 (a total of €4,400), the winnings will not be taxed because each of them fits within the €2,000 limit.
