Are Online Casinos Legal in Poland?
Only under the state monopoly. Polish law reserves online casino games to companies owned by the State Treasury, and the Ministry of Finance lists just one company for them. No private or foreign company can be licensed to offer online casino games to people in Poland.
Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. It can lead to addiction and financial harm. Taking part in illegal online gambling in Poland can lead to a fine equal to your winnings.
What the Gambling Act says
The main law is the Gambling Act of 19 November 2009 (Ustawa o grach hazardowych). Article 5(1b) makes almost all internet gambling a state monopoly:
„Urządzanie gier hazardowych przez sieć Internet, z wyjątkiem zakładów wzajemnych i loterii promocyjnych, jest objęte monopolem państwa.”
Our translation: “Organising gambling over the internet, except mutual bets and promotional lotteries, is covered by the state monopoly.”
Gambling Act, art. 5(1b)
“Mutual bets” (zakłady wzajemne) means betting, such as sports betting. Promotional lotteries are prize draws linked to buying a product. Everything else offered online, including all casino games, falls within the monopoly.
The monopoly is run by the minister responsible for state assets through companies wholly owned by the State Treasury (art. 5(2)). Any gambling in Poland also needs the correct licence, permit or notification (art. 3). A private company cannot obtain one for online casino games because the law gives that activity to the state.
Which games count as online casino games
The Gambling Act does not use the word “casino game” for online play. Instead it defines four types of game that you would find in a casino. The Ministry of Finance groups them together as kasyno online (online casino).
| Polish legal term | What it means | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| gry na automatach | Slot games, on machines or online, where the result includes an element of chance | Art. 2(3) |
| gry w karty | Card games: blackjack, poker and baccarat played for money or prizes | Art. 2(5a) |
| gry cylindryczne | Roulette-type games, where a rotating device decides the result, including online versions | Art. 2(1)(4) |
| gry w kości | Dice games | Art. 2(1)(6) |
Translations are ours. See our Polish gambling terms explained in English for more vocabulary.
Free-play slot-style games
The Act goes further than many people expect. Slot-style games organised for commercial purposes are also treated as slot games when the result is random, even if you cannot win money or prizes (art. 2(5)). Whether a particular game falls within the Act is decided by the Ministry of Finance in an individual decision (art. 2(6)).
Who can legally offer online casino games
The Ministry of Finance publishes a list of companies that may legally offer gambling online, called Legalny hazard (legal gambling). Its table of online entities has one row for online casino games. That row names Totalizator Sportowy, the same state-owned company the Ministry lists for online number games and cash lotteries.
- Company
- Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o.
- National Court Register (KRS) number
- 0000007411
- Scope in the Ministry list
- kasyno online — Online casino games (slot, card, roulette and dice games online)
- Ministry page version
- 103.0, published
- Checked by Casinos Poland
The Ministry's page shows the exact website address for this record. Always compare the full address letter by letter.
This list is the place to confirm the exact website address of the legal online casino. A website that uses a similar name, a different ending or an extra word is a different website, even if it looks official.
Rules every legal online gambling website must follow
The Gambling Act sets out requirements for any legal gambling website. Knowing them helps you judge whether a website even claims to follow Polish law:
- It must use a website address under Poland's country ending, .pl (art. 15d(2)).
- It must keep data about games and players on equipment in the European Union or the European Economic Area (art. 15d(1)).
- It must publish approved responsible gambling rules and show, in a visible place, who runs it and how to contact them, its permission details where one is needed, the game rules, the ban on under-18s, information about gambling risks, and links to organisations that help people with gambling problems (art. 15i(1)(1)).
- It must verify that you are 18 or over and require you to register a player account before you play (arts 15i(1)(2)–(3) and 27(2)).
- It must give you tools to control your activity and stop you from playing once the money in your account runs out (art. 15i(1)(4)–(5)).
- It may handle payments only through regulated payment service providers (art. 15e).
A .pl address alone proves nothing
Legal operators must use .pl addresses, but anyone can register one. Unlicensed websites also use .pl addresses, Polish-language pages and familiar-sounding names.
Casino licences and foreign licences
Poland does issue casino licences (koncesja na prowadzenie kasyna gry), but only for physical casinos. The Act makes these licences subject to the online monopoly (art. 6(1)), so a casino licence never permits online games.
Licences from other countries have no effect in Poland, including licences from other EU countries such as Malta. Our guide to why a foreign licence is not enough in Poland explains the risks of these websites.
How to check a casino website in Poland
- Open the Ministry of Finance's Legalny hazard page and find the table of legal entities on the internet.
- Compare the full website address you want to use with the address in the online casino row, letter by letter. Only one company is listed for online casino games.
- If the address is different, the website is not authorised to offer casino games in Poland. You can also search the blocked-website register to see whether it has already been listed.
- Ignore claims that do not prove anything: a Polish-language page, a high place in search results or casino rankings, a foreign licence or a .pl address (Ministry of Finance warning).
Online betting is regulated differently
Online sports betting is the exception to the monopoly. Private companies can offer it with a permit from the Ministry of Finance. Read how online betting differs from casino games for details.
- Behavioural addictions helpline 801 889 880 Daily, 17:00–22:00 · Charged at your operator's rate
- Support Centre for adults in mental crisis 800 70 2222 24 hours a day, 7 days a week · Free
In an emergency, call 112. Numbers listed by KCPU and the Ministry of Health, checked . More gambling support in Poland
Sources
- Gambling Act of 19 November 2009 (Ustawa z dnia 19 listopada 2009 r. o grach hazardowych)
- Legal gambling: entities legally offering gambling online (Legalny hazard — Legalne podmioty w Internecie)
- Warning about the consequences of taking part in illegal gambling (Ostrzeżenie przed konsekwencjami udziału w nielegalnym hazardzie)
- Register of website addresses used to offer gambling in breach of the Act (Rejestr domen służących do oferowania gier hazardowych niezgodnie z ustawą)
English explanations are our own translations of Polish law. The official Polish text prevails. How we check our sources.