Poland’s economy has grown at a breathtaking speed since the Cold War. Since the country became an EU member, the economy has been growing rapidly. This is also due to the ever-increasing number of tourists, who are attracted by cities such as Krakow or the old Hanseatic city of Gdansk, as well as by the beautiful beaches on the Baltic Sea or the ski resorts in the mountains in the south.
All in all, Poland has plenty to offer when it comes to visitors and even the locals. However, when talking about gambling or iGaming, things look different than in other EU countries.
Although gambling wasn’t really a major issue in Poland, it looks quite different nowadays. You can obviously still play on the internet with your own cash, but gambling fans should pay attention to what’s going on.
The Big iGaming Trend in Poland
Lots of people in Poland are enthusiastic about playing online casinos or what they call “kasyno online” – especially on classic games such as poker, blackjack, roulette, and especially online slots.
Right now, Poland is going through almost the exact same phases as any other country in Europe, where the revenues of casino sites are also growing much faster than the general economy. What these casinos do is try to attract local players with their bonuses and promotions, thus making them irresistible for many.
Plus, online casino customers benefit from a number of other advantages. For example, bets can be placed even by smartphone, and many games can also be tested first free of charge and without risk.
The Progress of Online Gambling
All in all, the legal situation surrounding gambling was quite permissive, especially back in the 90s. Especially on the Internet, there weren’t any regulations for a long time, until the sudden corruption scandal back in 2009.
Since then, only those sites that decided to offer sports betting could get a Polish license. Online casinos on the other hand, not. However, this means that what’s going on isn’t that different from other neighboring European countries like Germany, Austria, or the Czech Republic.
Gambling fans who reside in Poland or are on vacation there can, of course, also access these portals and register or risk their own bets. Some major online casinos even have a Polish version of the website.
The Laws in Poland About Online Gambling
Although gambling is legal in Poland, the Internet spectrum has a totally different outlook when we end up talking about legal requirements. There are hundreds of casinos that are currently blocked. These casinos don’t have a Polish gambling license, thus meaning that the Polish government blocks them entirely with ISPs (Internet Service Providers).
However, you can still count on around 15,000 offshore online casinos that accept players in Poland. Therefore, the foreign casino market is around 60% of the total Polish gambling market.
What other casino providers do is get a sports betting license to operate legally in Poland, and then include some casino games.
Conclusion
How it will continue with the regulation of online casinos in the coming years, can not be said at present.
Of course, when granting specific casino licenses, the state is also likely to earn – meaning, such regulations could also be quite attractive.
At the same time, politicians do not want to endanger the state gambling monopoly, which has ensured high revenues in recent years.
