What started back in February of 2021, still continues in the lower houses of the Polish Parliament committee to pass the latest amendments to the known Customs Law. This amendment incorporates the Polish Gambling Act. This Act has still not yet been completed. So far, deliberation is between the President and the Speak in charge of the Polish Senate. It will be down to the Senate to consider the outcome of the Act’s amendments within the next parliamentary session.
Here we cover the key changes that are being proposed within this new legislation update that will have an impact on Poland’s gambling laws and the Act currently in place.
Amendments to the Gambling Act
The first change is to Article 6a within the Gambling Act.
Under the amended provision, any entity organizing a poker tournament on the basis of a casino license must provide the competent authority with printed or electronic information about the tournament winners, including their names, nicknames, fees. registration and winnings, and taxes on tournament winners.
This amendment will look to increase the cases of gambling through electronic systems that can clarify the information submitted on individuals and make it available to proof for authorities to act upon.
Next, came the proposed amendment to Article 15 and sections 1a and 2 of the Gambling Act.
The amendments to Article 15 of the Law on Games of Chance are intended to remove obstacles to the creation of legal slot machines. According to the regulations still in force, it is not possible to install an approved arcade in a place where slot machine games are played which have been breaking the law for 5 years. The amendment will look to provide an increase in slot terminals in the availability of attractive locations, allowing for companies to exercise in a state monopoly.
The result of this amendment will have no overbearing impact on the industry which already has slot machines on the market, be it illegal in some cases.
The next adjustment is Article 15b. This change to the current Act is to implement a reduction of the audio-visual signal setting within slot machines.
Following this amendment, we come to one of the more significant proposed changes, and this is for Article 15 section F4, 6 and 9 of the Act.
The aim is to change the registration conditions for all domains that are used for illegal gambling and to speed up the registration process. Domain names are then needed to be registered for approval.
Assuming that the proposed change will come into force unchanged, not only the names of the Internet domains used to organize gambling will be entered in the register, in violation of the legal provisions, but also the names of the domains that are used for advertising or sales promotion.
Gambling is illegally accessible to Internet users located on the territory of the Republic of Poland. Therefore, the register will also contain websites that are used to promote and advertise online casinos and games of chance that are not subject to Polish law, in particular websites of affiliated companies.
These newly proposed regulations will also set about changes in the process within registrations. Previously, these changes had to be approved by the relevant Minister for Public Finance or by a State Secretary employed by the Minister for Public Finance authorized by the Minister. According to the text of the law, the entry or modification of the register can be carried out by the responsible Minister of Finance or by a body appointed by him by the national tax administration.
The aim of this solution is to give the Minister of Finance the opportunity to designate a competent national tax authority to authorize the registration, modification, or deletion of the registration. According to the justification provided for the project, the proposed change aims to streamline and thereby speed up the registration process. In conjunction with this and also in accordance with the suggested amendment to this section of the Article, which is F5 AND 9, the deadline for examining objections should be extended to 14 days.
When speaking to the Editor-in-Chief at https://www.kasynopolskaonline.com/ which is one of these affiliated sites that help Polish players access licensed casinos, we get their opinion on the newest announcement.
“The proposed amendments effectively kill off all online gambling services, which will push illegal activity further into the high-risk areas of the Internet. but this is not the first time that the Polish government have acted in such a fascist manner. We believe that those that want to play and gamble online should have those freedoms of choice. People should be free to play beyond the state-owned casinos, not all players live in places like Warsaw where the Century Casinos are based. We provide safe betting and game platforms that offer great games that land casinos do not. Players can apply online securely and play from their mobile devices safely.”
Further adding to this amendment which focused on Article 90 and 90a. The proposition to hold telecommunications services accountable if withholding domain information. This also followed up with terms set against the redirection of connection which are done through VPN address changes. Fines will be imposed by the tax office upon audit checks.
Poland and gaming
There has been a long love affair between Poland and gaming. In the console sector, Poland blooms with over 30 different game developers like Respawn, Orbital Knight, 11 Bit Studios and Artifex Mundi. The end of online casino gaming will only empower the software companies that pay their taxes to the government, something online casinos are not obligated to do. The Polish government are basically enacting the same restrictive measures as North Korea, not exactly a model you would hope your country to follow.
Will parliament welcome the proposals heard in the house? Time will soon tell whether or not if players from Poland can still claim free new bonus awards and free spins when they join new online casinos to play their favourite games within.
Whilst gambling inside of offshore casinos that are yet unaffected by Polish law, head to www.Kasynopolskaonline.com, where they review the best casino sites in Poland, you can also play free slots, read gaming guides, and claim exclusive code bonuses. They are a Polish company that offers advice on sports betting and holds a section on the site discussing banking services, so you know what you can deposit and withdraw with inside these online casinos. They truly provide the best support for Polish players that want some much-needed VIP treatment.
Currently, word is circulating online of an event to be held March through to July in protest over changes. This follows minor events in December, January, and February. Based on their support, it is likely the bill changes will be passed, leaving the player intent on the enjoyment with only the selection of state-run casinos offline to choose from.
