Gambling in all its forms, and especially betting, has deep roots in Polish culture. The government’s hands-off attitude towards gambling in the 80s and 90s left the industry unregulated. In the meantime, the Polish gambling market flourished and surpassed €1 billion in revenue; with local operators only accounting for 9%. In 2009, the country's officials adopted the first Gambling Act. In their effort to regulate online betting, Polish authorities set heavy taxation on licensed operators and bettors.
So, naturally, many bettors started to turn away from local betting sites in Poland and opt for big international bookmakers that widely accept them. Nobody can blame them since their odds are way bigger than those offered by local brands. On top of that, they offer an online casino product that is domestically prohibited; plus, players can enjoy a tax-free betting experience.
Best Betting Sites in Poland
The following shortlist contains the best Polish betting sites. They offer transactions in PLN, higher odds than the local brands and they don’t apply taxes to Polish bettors.
Gambling in Poland - 5 Things to Know
- 1 The legal age for online betting in Poland is 18 years old
- 2 Online betting has been fully regulated since the establishment of the Gambling Act in 2009
- 3 Local bookies are only allowed to offer a sportsbook product; online casino is prohibited
- 4 Licensed online bookies pay a 12% turnover tax to the government
- 5 The Polish betting market revenue is estimated at more than €1 billion
General info
⏩Population: 38.268.000
⏩Active players: 18.300.000
⏩Currency: Polish Złoty (PLN)
⏩Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse racing, casino games, lotteries
⏩Operator types: Licensed online bookmakers & casinos, land-based betting shops & casinos
⏩Designated authority: Ministry of Finance
⏩Status: Regulated
Online Betting Poland: The Law Framework
Online betting in Poland has gone through different stages, and for many years the market was considered a grey area with an abundance of offshore bookmakers accepting Polish players seamlessly. This condition drastically changed in 2009 when the government decided to regulate gambling with the first Gambling Act.
The law banned all forms of online gambling except for sports betting, and since then, no player can even participate in any form of gambling that doesn't fall under state regulation. The government established a licensing process for new Polish bookmakers after voting for two law amendments in 2011 and 2016.
In order to apply for a license, each operator needs to have registered as an LLC in the country, use a Polish domain and pay collateral of 480,000 PLN and a fee of 403,000 PLN. Furthermore, they have to pay a 12% turnover tax without deducting payouts.
At the same time, each player who opts for them is subject to a 10% tax for winnings that exceed 2,280 PLN. The newly established regulations forced a number of the largest betting sites that once accepted Polish bettors to leave the market in 2017; citing that it is almost impossible to operate profitably.
Currently, about 15 Poland betting sites have acquired a domestic license from the Ministry of Finance, and three of them are the most notable ones, namely Totolotek, STS and Fortuna. Even though they have acquired a significant market share, they don’t offer competitive odds or great bonuses for newcomers as they need to be viable due to the high taxation.
As a result, quite a large number of players have turned to foreign bookmakers that are not licensed within Poland. Besides the pros they come with; they also offer a great casino product.
Essential Info for Polish Bettors
Players have two choices when it comes to Polish bookmakers that are active within the local online market; either to opt for the licensed operators or the offshore ones. Within the last few years, there is an ever-increasing list of betting sites that the government has blocked through local ISPs.
However, just as the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) pointed out, these blocking measures haven’t stopped Polish bettors from accessing bookmakers with well-established licensing outside of Poland. In their search for a better and more diverse betting experience, don’t impose any taxation on them; compared to the 10% tax applied by local Poland betting sites. What’s more, there are no legal repercussions for players who choose to bet on international sportsbooks.
How to Deposit at Betting Sites in Poland
Polish players never had a hard time making deposits to betting sites. However, things got relatively more straightforward in 2014. At that time, the government relaxed the restrictions on financial institutions, which affected bookmakers in Poland. Right now, there are dozens of payment methods to top up your account.
Most notably, e-wallets such as Jeton, MiFinity or LuxonPay are widely available by the majority of operators. Perfect Money betting sites are very popular among bettors.
Recently, more and more bookmakers have offered a wide choice of digital wallets as payment methods, making the eZeeWallet betting sites another top choice for Polish bettors. This provider is usually accepted for players who want to claim bonuses.
There is also a wide usage of debit cards, bank wire and Trustly. Locals also prefer to use classic prepaid vouchers to fund their accounts, such as Flexepin and Neosurf.
Still, a significant downside is that they cannot use them for withdrawals. Przelewy24 betting is common for one of the most-known instant banking deposit methods among locals. Unfortunately, though, only a tiny minority of international online betting sites offer it.
The Future of Online Betting in Poland
Starting with the 2009 regulation, there is a continuous discussion about Poland’s strict online gambling laws. Despite Europe’s pressure on the Polish government to grant access to international bookmakers by decreasing the high taxation or legalizing online casinos, it seems unlikely that changes will pass anytime soon.
The total amount that Poland currently loses to offshore operators isn’t considered enough to persuade the country’s officials. What is worth mentioning is that while the legal status of the unlicensed betting sites in Poland is in question; there are absolutely no measures taken against Polish citizens who opt for foreign bookies.
Gambling Regulations in Nearby Countries
⏩ Germany: has a complex system and strict regulations to regulate land-based and online gambling. Though in some states, gambling is legal, and there are licenses offered to international operators, most of the market remains grey. The favourite betting sites in Germany are the ones that either absorb the 5% tax or operate illegally.
⏩ Czech Republic: successfully implemented the regulations on all forms of gambling in the country. However, the few licensed Czech betting sites are subject to high taxes, and therefore, many operators provide their services under international licenses or mirror sites.
⏩ Ukraine: has been going through war and a lot of instability, especially in the areas near the Eastern borders. Before that, there was an active effort to legalize the gambling market with the election of the current president. The Ukraine betting sites are still a popular choice for bettors, and for the time being, there are no restrictions for players who opt for international bookies.
Gambling in the country is legal. Specifically, when discussing online betting, Poland has set several rules to regulate the domestic market since 2009. At the moment, licensed online operators only offer sports betting, as online casino games are typically prohibited. Players can either opt for them, or for international bookmakers who come with a casino product as well.
All players are subject to a 10% tax on winnings surpassing 2,280 PLN when playing on local bookies. Whereas, those who place their bets on offshore sportsbooks, enjoy a tax-free betting experience.
The Polish zloty (PLN) is the primary currency in the domestically licensed betting sites, but it is also available at many foreign ones. All bettors need to check the accepted currencies and make sure the local one is included. Thus, they can avoid exchange fees which are usually not more than 2% of the total transaction amount. Locals might be interested in giving Muchbetter bookmakers a try.
The legal gambling age for every player to participate in sports betting in Poland, land-based casinos and lotteries, is 18 years old.
The Ministry of Finance is the respective body for regulating online betting in Poland. It is responsible for enforcing compliance with the existing laws, issuing licenses to operators and blacklisting unlicensed bookies.
Except for the above-mentioned distinguished bookmakers in Poland; we constantly update our list with new betting sites that offer attractive bonuses and high odds.