Creating an Online Casino in Poland: Is It Even Worth It?

The flourishing market of online gambling is too tempting to just stay aside and watch: estimated at over $63 billion, it’s expected to remain one of the most rapidly growing industries in the upcoming years, just enough to double in value by 2025. But that’s not to say it’s easy to launch an online casino anywhere in the world.

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Unfortunately, online gambling laws are still ambiguous or even prohibitive in many countries. Take, for example, Poland: the unequivocal leader of the European gambling market (the three leading Polish lottery websites – Lotto.pl, STS.pl – can boast of over 6 million users, about 25% of which are regulars), Poland is so centralized that it’s literally impossible to open an online gambling business without the permission of the state.

Or is it? Well, the laws are complicated, so you will likely have to peruse them hard and consult with many lawyers to find the best opportunities (and maybe also loopholes) to benefit from. The good news, though, is that you can start learning about the intricacies of opening a gambling business in Poland right now from this article.

We have reached out to one of the most educated people in gambling we know – Anna Rosak from KasynoHEX, a renowned casino expert. The lady shared with us some eye-opening insights into the legal side of the issue. Without further ado, let’s dig into it!

Any Room for Maneuver?

The current centralized state of the Polish gambling market is the result of the response of the Polish Government to the so-called ‘gambling affair’ scandal concerning lobbying for amendments to the national gambling laws. As of now, both land-based and online casinos are supervised by the Ministry of Finance and the Act on Gambling Games of 19 November 2009 with its latest amendment of 2017, while some gambling-related issues are also regulated by the Penal Code, the Fiscal Penal Code, and the Act of 18 July 2002 on Providing Services through Electronic Means.

All in all, there are several important things to know if you are going to open an online gambling business in Poland:

The only forms of online gambling permitted for private entities are online betting and promotional lotteries. All other forms of gambling can only be provided by a state-owned company, which at the moment is Totalizator Sportowy.
Licenses for online betting and promotional lotteries are granted for six years (and can be extended for one more six-year term) to companies owned by citizens of EU/EEA member states and with offices registered in Poland. The minimum share capital for betting operators is 2 million PLN.
Fees for licenses are not fixed but present a ‘base amount’ equal to the average monthly remuneration in enterprises in the second calendar quarter of the previous year, according to the Central Statistical Office in the Official Journal of the Central Statistical Office.

As you can see, there’s absolutely no chance to start a full-fledged online casino in Poland. On the bright side, you still can open a betting website or run promotional lotteries. Not too much room for maneuver, huh?

What About an Offshore Casino that Would Cater to the Poles?

That’s actually an idea that you can pull off!:

First, the Polish laws do not prohibit the Poles from entering offshore casinos. According to the most recent amendment to the Act on Gambling Games, internet providers are obliged to block access to unlicensed online casinos, but that’s not a big deal for gamblers themselves.
Second, it’s already a well-trodden path: myriads of casinos like Muchbetter casino, Skrill casinos, and crypto casinos are catering to the Poles from offshore zones, and everyone is happy about it. You won’t have to reinvent the wheel – you can just try and repeat the path of the winners of the market.

With millions of Polish punters looking for high-quality online casinos, building your own brand may not be a bad idea. It goes without saying, though, that that would require a tremendous amount of effort, patience, and strategic thinking.

BUT!

Walk and ye shall reach. Seek and ye shall find.