Poland's Register of Blocked Gambling Websites

What the register is

The register's official name is Rejestr domen służących do oferowania gier hazardowych niezgodnie z ustawą, which means the register of website addresses used to offer gambling in breach of the Gambling Act. The minister responsible for public finance keeps it under article 15f of the Act.

The register is public, and anyone has the right to see what it contains (art. 15f(2)). It is connected to the systems of internet providers and payment providers so that they receive new entries automatically (art. 15f(3)). A website address is added when it is used to:

• organise gambling illegally for people in Poland, or
• advertise or promote gambling illegally for people in Poland.

Each entry records the website address and the date and time it was added, changed or removed (art. 15f(4)).

The register in numbers

Many websites appear twice in the register, once with “www.” at the start and once without, so the number of different websites is lower than the number of entries. Source: Ministry of Finance register.

The table counts entries still in the register by the year they were added. Entries that the Ministry has removed are not included.

What happens when a website is added

• Internet providers block it. Providers of internet access in Poland must block the website free of charge within 48 hours of it being added (art. 15f(5)(1)).
• Visitors see a warning page. Instead of the website, users are redirected to a Ministry of Finance page. It explains where the register is and that the address has been listed, shows the legal gambling operators and warns that players of illegal games face fiscal penal liability (art. 15f(5)(2)).
• Payments are cut off. Payment service providers must stop providing payment services on the website within 30 days of the listing (art. 15g).
• Providers who ignore the rules can be fined. The Act sets fines of up to 250,000 zł for internet and payment providers that fail to comply (art. 89).

How to search the register

The register's search page is in Polish. These steps explain what to click:

1. Open the register at hazard.mf.gov.pl. The page title is Rejestr Domen Służących do Oferowania Gier Hazardowych Niezgodnie z Ustawą.
2. Type the website address into the box marked Wpisz nazwę domeny… (“enter the domain name”) and click Wyszukaj (“search”).
3. Try the address both with and without “www.”, because each version can have its own entry.
4. The date shown next to Ostatnia aktualizacja is when the register was last updated.

Not on the register does not mean legal

Using technical workarounds to reach a blocked website does not make taking part legal. The penalties for players apply whether or not a website has been blocked.

Objections to an entry

The Act allows certain businesses to challenge a listing: the operator of the gambling website, an internet provider, the holder of the website address or a payment provider. They must object to the minister within two months of the listing, and the minister decides within 14 days whether the address stays in the register or is removed (art. 15f(7)–(9)). Players who are simply unable to reach a blocked website have no role in this procedure.

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.