Poland threatens to imprison players using unlicensed sites
Players using unlicensed foreign sites in Poland face fines and imprisonment in latest crackdown by Polish authorities
Polish authorities have warned online gamblers they face being hit with hefty fines and a potential prison sentence should they be found guilty of playing on sites run by unlicensed foreign operators.
The official warning, issued by the Polish Ministry of Finance, said players risk a “severe financial penalty” and “imprisonment of up to three years” if found to be “participating in games of chance or mutual betting organized outside the country”.
According to the Ministry, the Polish regulator has information on more than 24,000 players who it believes have been participating in unlicensed gambling, including 17,700 players who have won a total of PLN27m.
In an attempt to ensure players are playing on sites regulated and taxed in Poland, more than 1,100 criminal investigations have been launched with a focus placed on those that have won the most in winnings.
Speaking with eGaming Review, DLA Piper gaming lawyer Anna WietrzyÅska-CioÅkowska, said the announcement represented a “major” change in direction from authorities in Poland, with the regulator having previously focused its attention on the marketers of unlicensed foreign sites.
“Until this announcement, only those marketing and promoting unlicensed gaming activities in Poland have faced prosecution so news the Polish regulator will now target players that play unregulated games marks a major step in its attempts to channel activity into the licensed arena,” WietrzyÅska-CioÅkowska said.
Recent estimates place as much as 91% of Polish online gambling activity in the hands of unlicensed operators.
At present, the market has just four licensees with many observers having described the market as “commercially unviable” due to unattractive tax rates and costly licensing requirements.
Polish authorities recently submitted an amendment to its gambling act to the European Commission whereby operators would no longer be required to set up a Polish company to obtain an operating licence, although they would still need to establish a Polish branch.