Illegal gambling is rising, mainly among young people. We prepared the largest market analysis and a plan to do something about it.

For the past few months, the same topic kept coming up in our meetings with online gambling operators. Illegal foreign casinos.

Practically every operator senses that their influence on the Czech and Slovak market is growing. Yet we felt the issue was being discussed mostly on gut feeling. Data was missing, a comprehensive overview was missing, and above all a plan for what to do about it was missing.

That is exactly why we decided to prepare our own market analysis. Not to count how many foreign casinos exist. We wanted to understand how the whole ecosystem works, who controls it, and where its weakest points are.

Young players are the most vulnerable

The debate about illegal gambling often revolves around a few blocked domains or the Ministry of Finance blacklist. The reality, however, is far more complex.

In recent years, foreign operators have learned to target Czech and Slovak players very effectively. They use localized website versions, the local currency, Telegram, Discord, YouTube, TikTok, streamers, and affiliate sites. And the most exposed group is young players.

Legal operators have very strict rules for marketing communication. Illegal operators respect no such limits. The result is a situation where a young person often encounters an illegal casino first and only later discovers that licensed operators even exist. We consider this a problem for the entire market.

What we analyzed

As part of the project, we went through more than 10,000 foreign casino and betting brands. We were not only interested in whether they have a Czech version. We analyzed, for example:

• language versions,
• availability from Czech and Slovak IP addresses,
• supported currencies,
• payment methods,
• affiliate programs,
• organic traffic,
• ownership structures,
• platforms used,
• licenses.

This created the most extensive internal database we have ever put together at Affilmaster.

What we found

The results surprised us in some respects.

• 345 foreign brands actively target the Czech or Slovak market. They offer a Czech or Slovak version, or support CZK or EUR.
• The real number is, by our estimate, 4 to 5 times higher. The limit was external data sources (Ahrefs, Similarweb), which restrict the scope of the analysis.
• A further 2,200+ brands operate in English only. For the young generation, however, that is practically no barrier today.
• Most of the market uses the same B2B platforms, the same game providers, and often the same licensing jurisdictions.

That means one thing. At first glance the market seems very fragmented. In reality, however, it is far more concentrated than it may appear.

Soft2bet as the biggest player

The most striking finding of the whole analysis is the company Soft2bet. Under its group we identified 131 different brands, roughly nine times the second-largest entity in our dataset. Its better-known brands include, for example:

• Sportaza
• Wazamba
• Neon54
• Frumzi
• Casombie
• Rabona
• ZetCasino
• Amunra

In our experience, most of these brands have a Czech version ready or directly target Czech players. Soft2bet has also appeared in several international investigative articles in recent months in connection with running unlicensed casinos.

If pressure can be built on one such operator, it can have a far greater impact than blocking individual domains.

What we believe can really work

We don't think that blocking domains alone is a long-term solution. We see greater potential in a coordinated approach by the whole market. We propose three basic steps.

1. Legal pressure

Coordinated demands from a reputable law firm directed at the operators of illegal brands.

2. Pressure on their partners

If an operator does not respond, focus on the entities it cannot function without. Above all:

• game providers,
• payment gateways,
• card companies,
• licensing authorities,
• banks.

In our view, it is the banking sector that represents one of the strongest tools.

3. Educating players

Simply explaining to the young generation in particular the difference between legal and illegal play. Not to scare. To explain.

Two new projects

We didn't want to close the whole project with an internal analysis alone. That is why two new websites were created.

Nelegalove.com

An internal B2B portal for Affilmaster clients. It contains a database of more than 10,000 brands, an overview of ownership structures, providers, licenses, filters, and recommended steps.

VíšKdeHraješ.cz and ViešKdeHráš.sk

A public educational project aimed at ordinary players. Its goal is neither to moralize nor to discourage play. We simply want to explain the difference between a legal and an illegal environment and show the risks that many players are not even aware of — in Czech and Slovak versions.

We have a problem. We also have a plan.

Illegal gambling is not the problem of a single operator or a single company. It is a problem for the entire market. If we each proceed on our own, the situation will keep getting worse.

We have taken the first step. We prepared the data, mapped the market, and proposed a concrete solution. We are ready to provide clients not only with the analysis, but also with coordination of joint steps and support in implementing them.

We believe that cooperation will be the most effective weapon in the fight against illegal gambling. Now is the time to act.