Poland's online gambling laws approved by E.C.

Poland’s originally rather authoritarian approach to the regulation of online gambling has seen some useful and pragmatic amendments following European Commission opinions on compatibility with EU law, and the enabling legislation has now been approved by the Commission.

One of the main changes is that international operators are no longer required to set up a Polish company or permanent presence in the central European country, which should save potential licensees considerable expense and time.

Poland is an attractive market but regulatory hassles have so far confined licensing to four companies, STS, Totolek, Millenium and Fortuna. However, there are believed to be many more outside operators who are accessing Polish online punters and dominating the market without the necessary authority or tax contribution, generating an estimated Euro 1.2 billion.

The government is hoping that the new regulations will encourage more operators to licence and pay taxes on their Polish business returns.