Shady Gambling Tax Deal Forces Polish Sports Minister Out

Miroslaw Drzewiecki, Poland’s Minister of Sports, resigned recently in light of accusations regarding proposed amendments to Polish gambling laws. Drzewiecki allegedly lobbied on behalf of local gambling companies to block a proposed law that called for higher taxes be drawn from the local gambling industry.


The proposed law would have increased gambling taxes in Poland by approximately $162 million. This extra tax money was to help fund the Euro 2012 football tournament that Poland is holding along with Ukraine.


Drzewiecki’s name appeared in transcripts of recorded conversations between a Parliament member and individual owners of Polish gambling companies. The transcripts were brought out during an anticorruption investigation, and have since been published in the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Once these transcripts were made public, Drzewiecki tendered his resignation.


The name Zbigniew Chlebowski, who is the head of the Civic Platform party, also appeared in the transcripts. Chlebowski was dismissed shortly after Drzewiecki resigned.