Polish online casino operators want more action against intruders

Legally operating online betting websites in Poland are pressing the Finance Ministry to beef up enforcement against unlicensed operators in the Polish market, claiming that nine out of ten online gambling transactions take place on the sites of unlicensed operators.

Reporting on the issue, the publication Rzeczpospolita noted that over Euro 1.2 billion is wagered on offshore operators every year.

Lobbying the Finance Ministry, the licensed operators of both online and retail betting shops have proposed a lower tax regime and the ISP blocking of illegal websites.

“Such a solution is completely in line with Polish law,” Zdzislaw Kostrubala from the Association of Bookmaker Employers and Employers told the newspaper.

Bookmakers complain that Polish Customs officials mistakenly place the enforcement emphasis on players rather than focusing on the real problem – unlicensed operators and their websites.

“Instead of getting at the source of the problem they are tackling ordinary citizens,” Kostrubala said.

Customs authorities have launched prosecutions against 24,000 people who illegally logged onto betting sites based abroad.