The Role of the Ministry of Finance in Polish Gambling
3 min read
In Poland, gambling has never been easy. It is true that there have been very liberal times, especially during the 90’s, although that all changed with the introduction of online gaming.
Nowadays, iGaming is not well seen in Poland and that is why there are no online casino licenses.
The only ones that escape with what the Ministry of Finance says, are the sites that exclusively offer sports betting. We wanted to know a little more about the subject and the role of the Ministry of Finance in Polish gambling.
Gambling in General in Poland
Like many of Poland’s neighbors, the country does not take the issue of online gambling lightly. Currently, it is practically impossible to get a gambling license, meaning that the term “polskie kasyno online legalne” is still sought-out by thousands of players.
That is why more than 60% of the gambling activities in Poland are done in offshore casinos coming from European islands such as Malta or even from Caribbean, as in the case of Curacao casinos.
The reason for all this gambling on foreign sites is due to the implementation of the Polish Gambling Law of 2017. It specifies that operators cannot offer casino games on their platforms – they only have the right to offer sports-related betting.
The Ministry of Finance introduced these Gambling Laws to protect its Polish citizens, as iGaming has been linked on several occasions and in several countries with gambling addiction.
However, seeing how the neighboring countries are behaving, maybe soon the Polish panorama will change. This is because there is more and more pressure to offer a local gambling environment, in which the operators’ revenues go partly to the country, and not to others.
What is the Role of the Ministry of Finance in Online Gambling?
Actually, it is very easy to understand what is the role of the Ministry of Finance in online gambling. Our Minister of Finance has the right to authorize an individual gambling feature that is regulated by the Gambling Laws.
However, it is not only the Minister of Finance who makes these decisions, as it has to be a broad request, in which the Minister has to take the necessary action.
It should also be noted that the Minister of Finance cannot simply change the laws that are specified in the Gambling Law. It is only about individual cases.
The Gambling Law is always in touch with every minute change. After all, the act was only recently introduced after years of elaboration – always seeking the best result for the welfare of Polish citizens.
Which way can iGaming go in Poland?
As in many other European countries, iGaming is increasingly being regulated at the local level. Countries such as Germany, for example, already have a state treaty, which severely regulates all online gaming activity in the country.
The same has also happened in other countries such as Spain. Therefore, it may only be a matter of time before Poland will implement the same, making casinos sooner or later have to acquire a Polish license.
This would prominently help the country and its economy, as the money would not only go to the offshore casinos, but Poland could actually charge taxes to the various platforms – using the revenues to boost the economy and generate more jobs.
