Czech City of Jirkov to ban gambling to cut down the crime rate

Rebeka Kulakevich

Senior Reporter

39 Casino news

Posted on: June 28, 2021 Last updated on: April 27, 2026

Jirkov is a peaceful town - for the most part. However, recently the crime rates have been going up, especially for theft. It’s possible that the increase in criminal activity was prompted by the lockdown. But one thing that certainly fueled offenses is gambling. People began stealing more, pawning stolen items, and gambling all the money away. Others with gambling addictions would pawn items of their own and drown themselves in debt with no way out. This serious issue began disrupting the tranquility and prompted the officials to take action to finally ban gambling altogether, with only minor exceptions.

In late June, the Czech City of Jirkov released news informing that officials came to an agreement to ban gambling in the region in hopes of reducing the crime rate. All forms of gambling will likely be prohibited, except for some small card games with a limit of CZK 500 (EUR 20). That means that there will no longer be any land-based gambling facilities, and online casinos will no longer be an option for residents.

According to the officials, the issue with gambling in Jirkov is that there are pawnshops located near numerous casinos, and players who have a gambling problem often make a stop to sell their belongings to feed their gambling addiction. This also puts people into debt, as well as prompting some to commit crimes in order to have a go at casinos. The Mayor also hopes that banning gambling will also reduce the number of pawnshops.

This decision will put a strain on businesses that finally got to reopen after the pandemic lockdown. And of course, this decision will take a toll on the economy in the region, but only at first. However, this ban may lead to a much more peaceful atmosphere in the City, as Darina Kováčová suggested. No money in the world can buy peace, and if this is the step that has to be taken, perhaps it is for the better.

Not only will the ban on gambling reduce crimes, but it will give room for those with an addiction to step back, seek help, and find a healthy substitute instead. Those who have heavy debt from gambling losses will no longer have an outlet to dig a deeper hole. Hopefully, those who are on the way to drowning in a financial crisis will be able to change their circumstances using other healthy practices.

“We are glad that the coalition and the opposition have found common ground in such a crucial matter,” Darina stated when reporting on the issue.

Perhaps this is the first step to take if gambling-related crimes are getting out of control - even if it seems like it’s a little over the top. Although the decision has not yet been finalized, the ban on gambling in Jirkov will most likely go through since the majority of the officials had a mutual perspective on the matter.