Skoda, Urquell Pilsner, and Václav Havel. The number of global brands associated with the Czech Republic are few. When Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, paid homage to Havel, the first democratically elected president of what was then Czechoslovakia, in a speech he made at Davos this year, many turned to Google to refresh their memories. Now, a new player may be added to the list.
Karel Komárek is a Czech billionaire who started buying stakes in country lotteries in 2011. The Czech Republic’s Sazka was the first, Greek gaming firm OPAP was the second. Renamed Allwyn, the company now also owns lotteries and gaming companies in the U.K., Italy, Austria, and the states of Michigan and Illinois. Its most recent acquisition is PrizePicks, the American fantasy sports operator.
