Poland

A Polish gambling licence is tricky to come by from the National Revenue Administration, which is responsible for supporting the minister of finance.

In Poland, the minister of finance has the ultimate responsibility for regulating online gambling in the country. However, the minister depends on overseeing the sector via Totalizator Sportowy, which is the state-run lottery operator. Totalizator Sportowy was established more than 60 years and now works with modern software providers, including IGT. New software providers must pass a tendering process before receiving approval from Totalizator Sportowy.

Act on Gambling Games

The Act on Gambling Games of 19 November 2009 (otherwise known as Gambling Law) is quite restrictive and is, ultimately, a challenge for operators to comply with. Before November 2019, there had been significant lobbying within the industry and the government to overhaul the Polish online gambling industry while it was still in its infancy.

Unlicensed Operators Blocked

Eight years later, there was an adjustment made to the Gambling Law. In 2017, firewall technology was introduced to prevent Polish residents from registering and wagering with online gambling operators that are not licensed within the country by the minister of finance. Ultimately, the law is used to regulate all forms of Polish licensing, covering land-based and digital forms of gambling. Fees and duration can vary across the many available licences.

Daily Operations

Private operators are only permitted to provide access to sports betting and online lotteries. Until any change is made, Totalizator Sportowy is the only operator that is licensed to provides access to video slots and online casino games within Poland. The minister of finance depends on the National Revenue Administration (NRA) for managing the daily regulation of the industry.