The Polish gambling market is one of the fastest-growing markets around the world, despite the country’s relatively small size when compared to much bigger markets such as the UK or Canada. The Polish market has undergone multiple changes over the years when it comes terms of laws of regulations, but today, it has the potential to become one of the most important markets in Eastern Europe, with revenues steadily increasing every year.
Despite the rise of online gambling and the growth of the gambling market in Poland, the Polish gambling industry faces some challenges as well. The main setback for the market is undoubtedly the strict gambling regulations which are considered to be among the most restrictive in Europe. In this article, we’ll take a look at the current Polish gambling scene as well as Poland’s gambling laws and how they’re affecting the current market in the country.
What Does the Law Say About Gambling Online in Poland?
The Polish gambling market was once largely unregulated, with little to no restrictions or prohibitions regarding gambling. Up until the early 2000s, this was the legal situation in the country, but from 2009, this changed drastically. The Gambling Act that passed in 2009 enforced strict regulations which prohibited any form of online gambling other than sports betting. The reason for this is that sports betting is not considered a game of chance like online casino games and slot machines, because the odds of winning are based on the skills of the participants.
Totalizator Sportowy
The only licensed and legal online casino in Poland that is allowed to offer online casino games to players is the state-owned Totalizator Sportowy. Besides the state-owned casino Totalizator Sportowy, online sportsbooks located within Poland can only be granted a Polish license if they offer sportsbook services only.
Online Casinos for Polish Players
However, this doesn’t mean that Polish players have just one online casino at their disposal if they want to play or bet online. Poles are allowed to register with online casino sites that are registered outside of Poland and place their bets there. In short, while online casinos are prohibited in Poland, players are free to gamble on online casino sites which are based outside of Poland but accept Polish players.
The only requirement is that any offshore online casino that Polish players register with needs to be licensed by a legitimate gaming authority such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the UK Gambling Commission. Whether it’s required by law or not, playing at a licensed online casino is always the way to go if you want to find a reputable online platform that you can trust with your funds and information.
Where to Find the Best Polish-Friendly Casinos
If you’re not sure where to start or how to choose the best online casino for you, you can find everything you need to know at www.kasynopolskaonline.com. This is the best place to get started navigating through the world of online casinos in Poland because you can find trusted recommendations of legitimate, licensed casinos as well as in-depth reviews of all the major casinos. Players can also find a useful checklist of all the features any good online casino for Polish players should have, from the language, currency, support, and payment options.
The Polish Sports Betting Market
As mentioned earlier, Totalizator Sportowy is the only online casino registered in Poland because it’s owned by the state. Since the Gambling Act doesn’t prohibit online sports betting, the market has flourished in the country and internationally too.
STS is the biggest bookmaking company in Poland and for several years in a row, it has owned the largest share of the sports betting market in Poland. STS owned 45.8% of the Polish sports betting markets in 2020, recording another increase compared to 45.1% of the market share in 2019. STS is based in Poland but is an international sports betting company that is available in several European markets under UK and Estonian licenses.
The Official Sponsor for E-sport
STS has been involved in the development of Polish e-sports for a long time, sponsoring players like Pawel ‘Innocent’ Mocek, a professional CS:GO player who has played for the top Polish and foreign teams. They also sponsor one of the most well-known Polish League of Legends influencers, Damian ‘Nervarien’ Ziaja. The company is the official sponsor for several esports teams and tournaments and it’s also the largest private entity in the Polish sponsoring market. They are the official sponsor of the Polish football team and the Esport Tour PRO, an online CS:GO tournament between the top Polish teams.
Conclusion
The state-owned Totalizator Sportowy owns a monopoly over any online casino game, making it the only Polish online casino. However, the Polish gambling laws grants licenses for online sports betting, which is the reason for large sports betting sites like STS, forBET, and Totolek. Despite heavy restrictions on the online gambling market, there is a lot of potential in the Polish market. The good news for Polish players is that while there is only one Polish-licensed casino, there are hundreds of fantastic offshore casinos that accept players from Poland and even have a Polish version of the site and support deposits and withdrawals in PLN.
