Gambling in Poland has exploded in popularity since it first became legal back in 1930. A lot has changed since. The games have expanded in features, have improved design, and come in endless variants. And that’s not even the biggest trend today. Today, Polish players can test their luck at online casinos. With this, they get access to hundreds, if not thousands of top-rated casino games they can play legally at top casinos listed at polskiekasynos.com.
The rules that apply to gambling in Poland are sourced from the European Union, but in addition to these, Poland has more stringent laws for internet gambling than most other European nations. In this article, we’ll talk about said rules and share with you some incredible statistics about online gambling in Poland.
Gambling Online in Poland Over the Years
Over the last 2 decades, Poland has witnessed an increase in the number of online casinos available to its visitors and residents. It’s no wonder that Poland is a trending gambling hub – it was one of the earliest adopters of gambling in Europe at the start of the 20th century. Its legality switched and wavered throughout the years, but the gambling sector is thriving today.
In the period after World War II, Poland introduced more liberal gambling rules. They were then once again revised in 2009 as a result of the growing popularity of internet gambling.
The anti-online-gambling regulations that were published in 2011 prevented residents from participating in any activity on sites that aren’t authorized by the state. This includes sites that don’t provide wagers on sports events or specifically outlined odds.
Due to its strict regulations and very safe gambling options, the internet gaming sector is tricky but still trending. Today, you can play and win in online casinos without worrying about security or fairness as long as you choose an approved, licensed casino.
However, gambling in Poland is not as simple as you might think. Why is that, you wonder?
In 2017, Poland brought a new regime for regulating gambling for its population, one designed to liberate the market. Under new laws, all international gambling operators can apply for a sports betting license, while online poker, bingo, and casino games stay under the Polish monopoly. The choices are growing, but there are still limited choices considering that players don’t have unrestricted access to offshore casinos, major names in the industry, and trending games like VR slots.
This means that offshore casinos can offer their games to players in Poland, but the new rules make it unlikely for most of them to continue to do so.
This regime restricts players to gambling in Polish casinos only. Under the regime, Poland also has a 12% tax on the turnover of foreign operators, which prompted many to leave the Polish market altogether. This includes big companies like William Hill, Betfair, and Bet365.
Because of this, the most popular form of online gambling in Poland is sports betting. Football is particularly popular with bettors, followed by Formula One. The latter became most popular in 2006 after BMW Sauber and Robert Kubica became the first Polish drivers to join the sport. Other popular sports are basketball and martial arts.
The governing body within Poland that sets the gambling laws and provides licenses is the Ministry of Finance. It has 311 licensees to date, a number that’s growing all the time.
Stats about Gambling in Poland
In 2016, the overall gambling market including onshore and offshore was estimated at $82.5 million in gross gambling revenue. Between 2012 and 2016, the number of gambling operators is increasing at a rate of 28%. The total revenue in the casino market in Poland is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7.14% in the years that follow.
The current state of regulations for the most part results from the political scandal of 2009. At this time, it was revealed that some politicians were cooperating with gambling companies trying to amend the gambling laws in their favor. In response to this, the Polish government introduced the Act to show that the government is not influenced by lobbying.
Not long ago, only cash lottery and telebingo were organized by the state monopoly. But, since 2017, this scope was expanded and the company Toatlizator Sportowy sp z.o.o. since offers casino-style games at slot machine parlors.
Private entities that operate in other areas by managing casinos, betting websites, and other types of gambling are also regulated by the Act. As for offshore gambling, the only legal activity that may be conducted online by private entities are promotional lotteries and betting, which still require a prior permit.
Other forms of gambling online are banned unless they are provided by the state company, and this includes offshore as well as onshore casinos.
In other words, if you are based in Poland, whether living or visiting, it is illegal to participate in unlicensed gambling by the state. The act is prosecuted as a fiscal criminal offense.
Since July of 2017, a measure has been used against offshore and onshore operators without licenses. The government now has a blacklist of sites that offer unlicensed gambling, which counts over 29,000 URLs as of 30 March 2023. This is an increased number of over 31% compared to 2022.
The Future of Gambling in Poland
It goes without saying that Poland has some of the strictest regulations for gambling. Its government holds its stand against gambling and is very stringent about what it allows to Polish visitors and residents. No one can say with certainty what the future can hold, but based on how the regulations have been changing in the last few decades, we can assume that Poland will hold its stance on very strict gambling rules.