Official language: Polish
Population: 38,116,000
Currency: Zloty (PLN)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 4.1599 PLN
1 GBP = 4.5844 PLN
1 USD = 2.7786 PLN

Quick links
Online casinos in Poland
Online poker in Poland
Online sportsbooks in Poland
Online bingo in Poland

Gambling in Poland
Gambling is not tightly regulated in Poland and is quite widespread. Since the late 80s casinos have been in place, but they did not become popular until well into the 90s. Some regulatory laws were passed in 1992, but these mostly just restrict the number of casinos and gambling machines that can be placed in a town based on its population. Towns with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants cannot open a gambling hall; to open a full casino, the town must have at least 250,000 residents.

Most gambling in Poland takes place in casinos – there are no dedicated poker halls. A national lottery is in place, as well as three companies that offer sports betting. Competition from international companies is still not very strong. All gambling is taxed, but the rate varies quite a lot, ranging from 2% up to 45% depending on the nature of the wager.

Online Gambling in Poland
Online gambling in Poland is also largely unregulated. There are no Polish internet gambling sites running right now because the government does not hand out licenses. In fact, the government in Poland has established a ban on foreign online gambling sites. However, the ban is very loosely enforced, so Polish players gamble online regularly.

The Polish government has recently realized how much money there is in internet gambling, so they are considering regulating it and offering licenses. Casinos in Poland are also pushing for the right to offer their services on the internet. As of early 2009 negotiations are still under way.