Gambling Operators Abandon Poland After Legislative Changes

A number of major gambling operators have said that they are withdrawing from the Polish market because of new unfavourable gambling legislation that is due to come into effect. Mr Green, Betfair and William Hill are amongst those who have confirmed that they will not be accepting any more customers from Poland.

The changes to the Polish Gambling Act are considered unfavourable and hostile to overseas operators. The country’s regulatory authorities and legislature have been accused of trying to make conditions better for the state-owned operator Totalizator Sportowy.

Poland has decided to impose a 12% tax on turnover generated by iGaming companies that offer services within the county. This immediately led to the aforementioned bookmakers saying that they will cease operating in Poland and informed their partners and customers that they will no longer accept Polish punters.

Mr Green has said that it will no longer accept traffic or players from Poland in a letter sent to its partners. The decision was to take immediate affect but said that current customers will have access to their accounts until further notice.

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) has criticised the new laws and called the new tax “not workable”. They have called on the government to base the tax on gross profits rather than turnover.

In a statement the RGA said, “We have advised the Polish authorities that their fiscal framework is not workable. Until it is changed, few operators will take up licenses in Poland. This will continue to stifle competition, value, and choice for consumers.”