Czech Republic Tests Shared Data Model to Improve Player Protection For Operators

In the Czech Republic, the Institute for Gambling Regulation (IPRH) is adopting a different approach through IRIS, a cross-operator data system for improving player protection and keeping customer information private.

IPRH represents around 95% of the country’s regulated gambling market, but director Jan Řehola says the organisation is more than a trade association. Instead, it brings together operators, regulators, addiction specialists, behavioural economists and government officials to develop evidence-based policies.

The initiative comes as illegal gambling creates financial and regulatory challenges. Estimates suggest unlicensed gambling costs the Czech market about $15.9 million in lost tax revenue each year, while players spend approximately CZK14.5 billion on illegal platforms.

Cross-operator data could identify risks individual operators cannot see

Most online gamblers use multiple betting and casino platforms. While each operator can monitor activity within its own ecosystem, none can see a customer’s overall gambling behaviour across the regulated market. “At the core of IRIS is a simple idea,” says Řehola. “We look at gambling from the perspective of the player, not the operator.”

A player may appear to be gambling responsibly with one operator while also increasing deposits, extending sessions and accumulating losses across several others. “It makes no sense for one operator to warn a player while another rewards him with a bonus,” Řehola argues.

IRIS attempts to solve that problem without creating a central database containing personal gambling histories. Instead, it uses pseudonymised identifiers generated through the Czech licensing system. Operators do not exchange names or account details. 

The platform analyses behavioural indicators across participating operators, assigns a common risk category and returns only that risk classification to each operator. “I would not present IRIS as a magic solution that works in 100% of cases. Nothing in prevention or addiction risk reduction works like that.”

“The system continuously evaluates the risk scores of players across all participating operators. We can see whether the overall risk level is rising or falling over time, and whether specific interventions are followed by changes in behaviour. Success means measurable changes in players’ behaviour: lower risk scores over time, reduced escalation, better use of limits and fewer players moving into high-risk categories.” 

He adds that unsuccessful interventions should be changed because “one of the biggest advantages of IRIS is that interventions can be evaluated almost in real time.”

Commercial incentives remain one of the biggest questions

One of the biggest criticisms facing any responsible gambling initiative is whether operators are prepared to reduce revenue from high-spending customers.

“I understand the scepticism,” Řehola says. “It would not be credible to pretend that commercial incentives suddenly disappear because we talk about responsibility.”

He argues that individual operators acting alone face a competitive disadvantage. If one company intervenes while another continues offering bonuses, customers can simply move elsewhere. “In that situation, the responsible operator may lose revenue without actually reducing harm.”

According to Řehola, IRIS changes that equation by applying the same methodology across participating operators. He also believes sustainable customer relationships create greater long-term value. “Revenue from players who are losing control is not sustainable revenue. It creates regulatory risk, reputational risk and political pressure for much stricter regulation.”

Player protection must work alongside enforcement against illegal gambling

Řehola also recognises that intervention inside the regulated market may push some vulnerable players toward offshore gambling sites.

“There is a real risk,” he noted. “If a responsible-gambling tool in the legal market simply pushes vulnerable players to offshore or crypto casinos, then it has not solved the problem. It has only moved the player into an even more dangerous environment.”

Furthermore, he said the IRIS must work alongside wider enforcement efforts. More than 240,000 people are already listed in the Czech Register of Excluded Persons, yet many still gamble through illegal operators. “People do not stop gambling simply because the state writes their name on a list.”

“The aim is to help the player return to a more sustainable level of play while still remaining inside the regulated environment.”

Czech legislation provides the legal foundation for the IRIS model

The legal framework supporting IRIS came before the technology itself. Amendments that took effect on 1 October 2025 allow licensed Czech operators to exchange pseudonymised player protection data under strict conditions.

“The data cannot be used for marketing, commercial profiling or competitive intelligence. It is used for one purpose only: responsible gambling and player protection,” Řehola explains.

He also acknowledges that no algorithm can perfectly identify gambling harm. “This question touches one of the biggest limits of any system like IRIS. There is no simple objective truth where a system can say: this person is addicted.”

Instead, the system produces risk signals that support proportionate interventions. “It does not diagnose a player and it should not restrict the player’s legal rights. It produces risk signals.”

“A wealthy player may spend more than an average player and still remain in control. Another player may spend less in absolute terms but show clearer signs of escalation, chasing losses, ignoring limits or losing control over time.”

Řehola accepts that continuous refinement will determine whether IRIS succeeds. “If it flags too many players who are simply unusual but not at risk, we must adjust it. If it misses players who later show clear signs of harm, we must adjust it as well.”

Czech Republic authorities are collaborating with operators to implement a data system with the aim of strengthening player protection. This is due to an increased spend on illegal gambling sites by citizens. Therefore, this measure is intended to curb the player diversion but there are fears it could impact revenue and worsen the existing problem.