- The Polish Gambling Act was amended last October to expand the range of financial service operators permitted to process gambling transactions—the new amendments have now come into force.
- Prior to the amendment online gambling transactions were effectively limited to Polish banks and financial providers. Post the amendment other EU licensed firms can offer services.
- Licensed operators will now be able to offer their customers cashier options from payment processors such as Skrill and Neteller.
The Polish Gambling Act was amended last October to expand the range of financial service operators permitted to process gambling transactions, and the new amendments have now come into force.
At present the change will affect the legally-licensed sports betting and horse race betting sites. They will now be able to offer their customers cashier options from payment processors such as Skrill and Neteller.
The main act was passed in 2011, and is highly restrictive—it does not permit licensed online poker. Infringement proceedings have been initiated against Poland by the EU, of which it is a member state, and the October amendment was partially a response to EU Commission concerns.
Prior to the amendment, online gambling transactions were effectively limited to Polish banks and financial providers. With the amendment’s introduction, other EU licensed firms can now offer services.
Last November, the Polish government submitted proposed amendments to the law that would allow a wider product offering for internet gambling, but still exclude online poker. Provision would be by a state licensed monopoly.
Despite the probability of complaints from other countries about these proposals, the EU Commission is unlikely to intervene too forcefully. It has allowed other gambling monopolies, even if only provisionally, such as that in Greece.
The prospects for nationally licensed online poker remain slim. However, there are few measures in place to combat the “gray” market, and players have little difficulty accessing online poker rooms, or depositing and withdrawing their funds from them.
