Gambling business in Poland
Gambling business is legal in Poland. The activities of the operators are regulated by the Gambling Law, published on November 19, 2009 (amended on May 26, 2011 and January 1, 2017). Online gambling is very strictly regulated: only four Polish companies can manage it legally. The regulatory body is the Ministry of Finance. Anyone over the age of 18 can play in both land and online casinos.
In 2015, there were 49 land-based casinos operating in the country. Their income was 126 million euros. The staff consisted of about 2,000 people. About one million visitors visit the facilities every year.
Total revenue from the online gaming market in 2015 was 83.2 million euros. The tax levied on online casino operators is 12% of the annual revenue.
Polish gambling legislation
The activity of the law on games is explained by the circumstances of its entry into force. A political scandal erupted in 2009 over lobbying for changes to the Old Games Act. Slot machines have become the subject of scandal, so the law virtually bans slots, they are only left in the casino. The Games Act regulates both terrestrial and online platforms.
The law divides gambling into three classes:
Online business has no definition. The law contains provisions on gambling or online betting. Minors (under 18) can only participate in promo lotteries. All gambling, bingo, bets, slot machines are available only on the relevant sites.
Allowed games in Poland
The only legal form of poker is tournaments organized in casinos with 10 players. Sports betting is allowed in both online and offshore establishments. Casino games are allowed only in the relevant establishments. These are cylindrical games (including roulette), card games (blackjack, poker, baccarat), slot machines. Terminal games are classified as slot machines.
Bingo and lotteries are divided into several types. Depending on the species, they have different regulations. For example, money lotteries and bingo are the monopoly of the government. Numerical games (keno) are also legal only if they are organized by the state. Lottery halls may be opened without permission.
Gaming regulators in Poland
The gambling business in Poland is regulated by the Ministry of Finance. It determines which games are considered gambling and issues licenses for the operation of casinos and bingo halls. Implementation control is exercised by the Customs Chamber. The director of the chamber issues lottery and bingo permits, imposes fines for illegal business, conducts inspections.
Gaming licenses in Poland
Licenses in Poland are divided into three types:
The number of casinos and bingo rooms is limited. Only one casino and bingo hall is allowed to open for every 250,000 inhabitants of the city. It is also possible to open facilities on cruise ships.
No need to obtain a separate permit:
To obtain a license, business operators must submit documentation that includes information about the applicant, as well as detailed information about the economic and financial investment plan and other information. The operator has to pay 260 thousand euros for the casino insurance license. Casino licenses are valid for 6 years.
Online gambling in Poland
All online casino games are banned. Only online bets are allowed to be paid and are taxed at 12% of the amount. In this case, the tax is levied on player bets.
The online operator must be physically present in Poland. The website must have a country-owned domain. All transactions must be carried out through Polish banks.
There are several licensed operators in Poland:
A survey conducted by the Ministry of Finance showed that only 9% of users play on legal Polish sites. More than 20,000 people play on illegal sites. The total amount of profits received was almost 6 million euros. A report posted on the ministry's website says a criminal investigation has been launched into more than 1,000 people.
In general, the online gaming market in Poland is estimated at 13 billion euros annually, which means that the government loses almost 160 million euros. In 2016-2017, the massive expulsion of business operators from the Polish market began.
Popular slot machines in Poland
The most popular slot machines in Poland are:
Game developers
Many well-known firms have offices in Poland. Most often these are studios where slot machines and other games are created. For example, Yggdrasil has an office in Krakow and an administrative office in Malta.
There are also other manufacturers in the country:
The gambling industry in Poland is quite developed.