Casino Poland Poker

Gambling in Poland really took off after the breakup of the USSR, where it flourished for a number of years without really much impeding it in the way of laws or regulations. Then, in 2010, the Polish government passed a pretty restrictive piece of legislation which still permitted gambling but did so under fairly tight restrictions.

Poker is the only vertical across the industry whose regulations remained much the same – poker gameplay continued being restricted to the casino venues, just with a couple of additional variants that hadn’t been permitted as of yet. The overall appearance of the gambling scene in Poland. After communism was demolished in Poland the Polskie casino scene began to emerge in the late 1980s. The gaming industry has grown in popularity among locals and visitors alike and the Polskie casino segment of that industry led the way and other gaming interests include bingo and billiard halls.

The 2010 legislation primarily targeted land-based gambling operations, but it was quickly followed by further legislation in 2011 which dealt with online gambling more specifically. (1)

So there still are casinos operating in Poland, a total of 25 in fact spread around the country, with 20 of them offering live poker across a total of 55 poker tables. So we’re talking very small poker rooms in general, but Polish residents still do have access to legal and regulated live poker if they choose. (2)

The current law in Poland does not sit well with the European Commission though, and since Poland is now a member of the European Union, they are at least subject to the opinion and the rulings of the European Commission.

The Commission has been active in the last few years in looking to convince other member countries to loosen up their gambling laws, especially in countries that have set up monopolies on gambling, as this is seen as an undue restraint on the free trade atmosphere that is at the forefront of the European Union.

The main problem that officials have with the Polish regulations is that they have been found to be too restrictive as far as the issuing of licenses is concerned, particularly the requirements for companies to essentially be Polish to qualify. (3)

There’s little doubt that current regulations have stifled the Polish gambling market, and pressure has been brought to bear on the Polish government for them to relax this, and there has been some success that has been achieved here.

Countries in the EU don’t enjoy quite the autonomy here that countries normally enjoy, meaning making whatever laws pertaining to gambling that they see fit, as the EU does have some latitude in prescribing how business is conducted in a member country, to some degree, even though countries affected often object to this. Over time though the pressure that the EU can bring to bear is something that at least has an influence on things and ultimately they can force the countries to comply, although the process is usually a pretty lengthy one.

So it’s been over 4 years now since the new Polish regulations have been in effect and some progress has been made already. In 2014 Polish officials relented in allowing payment processors such as Neteller and Skrill to be used as payment processors for online gambling transactions, which at least made it more convenient for Polish players to move money in and out of gambling sites, so some progress is being made here at least. (4)

Online Poker in Poland

The Polish Gambling Act of 2011 prohibits online poker altogether and the only online gambling it permits is sports betting at one of four licensed online sites. While they did relent lately as far as what payment processors they allow for online gambling, the regulations do not accommodate licensing any Polish sites for poker, as poker is seen as a game of chance as casino games are, as opposed to sports betting which is seen as more of a game of skill.

People have argued that poker should be seen as a game of skill as well, although thus far these arguments have fallen upon deaf ears in the Polish government. While this debate goes on, less than 10% of Polish players play at Polish licensed online sites, and it is said that the government is missing out on about €142 million in lost tax revenues due to their unwillingness to regulated and tax online gambling in general. (5)

The regulations concerning the expanded list of payment processors don’t just apply to Polish licensed online sites, they apply to any site in the European Union, as this change was brought on by pressure from the EU and the EU’s stance has always been to open up markets to any EU company, and this applies to online gambling as well.

So the Polish government is now placed in a situation where almost all online gambling in Poland, including all online poker, takes place at sites outside the country, and they not only have to tolerate it and miss out on potential tax revenues, they now have been forced to assist them in making it easier for Polish players to move money in and out of these foreign gambling sites.

As far as Polish online poker players go, they couldn’t be happier with the way things are now really, or at least they should feel this way, as this is really the best of outcomes for them. They can now have their transactions processed more easily, play where they want, and not have the sites they play at be subject to either ring fencing where they would then only be able to play against other players from Poland, severely effecting the player pool available in a negative way, and/or have the poker sites they play at be subject to the higher tax rate that Poland would certainly impose over the tax rate that the poker sites pay now in their much friendlier tax jurisdictions that they are currently in.

So Poland may continue to “ban” online poker as it does now, but this ban really has little practical effect, as players continue to play on these sites, and there’s not a whole lot that the Polish government can do to stop them. As long as people have an internet connection and poker sites will accept them, as they do now, they will play and play when and where they want.

So whether or not the EU continues to put pressure on Poland to relax their stance on online poker, or whether or not the government comes to their senses more and realizes that they are the real loser here, online poker is very alive and well in Poland and there’s no reason why this won’t continue to be the case regardless.

References:

(1) Gambling Laws in Poland

(2) Poland Poker Rooms

(3) Polish Draft Legislation Fails EU Screening Test

(4) Poland’s Gambling Legislation Costs Millions

(5) ibid.

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Casino Poland Poker Game

After communism was demolished in Poland the Polskie casino scene began to emerge in the late 1980s. The gaming industry has grown in popularity among locals and visitors alike and the Polskie casino segment of that industry led the way and other gaming interests include bingo and billiard halls. For a people recently released from communist rule, gaming became a favorite pastime.

Now the Polskie casino industry is one of the biggest in all of Eastern Europe. The business in definitely thriving and has become a huge contributor to the country’s tourism sector. The concentration of the Polskie casino industry is in Warsaw and some are in cities by the Baltic Coast where there are a number of resort hotel casinos in operation.

Casino Poland Poker Slots

Casino Operations
A Polskie casino operation is straightforward and follows the template of Las Vegas Casino. One would find several slot machines lined up on the casino floor next to gaming tables where players can have a go at roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker and many more. The casinos would also have private poker rooms where various games of poker are played.

Amusement Casino, Polonia Palace Hotel
The Amusement Casino at the Polonia Palace Hotel is perhaps the most popular Polskie casino in the country. Located in Warsaw, this four star hotel is best suited for the modern traveler and a good choice for business conventions and other social gatherings. But, it comes alive at night as casino action begins and players flock to the casino blackjack, baccarat and roulette tables.

Casinos Poland, Hyatt Regency Hotel Warsaw
Another popular spot for gaming is the Casinos Poland at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Warsaw. Tourists and locals alike enjoy playing at the Casinos Poland and it has a lot to do with the 5-star facilities of the Hyatt Regency. The hotel is located at Belwederska Boulevard which is only a 15-minute ride from the Frederic Chopin International Airport. Apart from the casino the hotel has two restaurants one Italian and another serving international cuisine.

Online Casinos
The Polish have also been very active in EURO casino online sites. Internet casinos are a welcome alternative to the land-based casinos the country which are mostly in expensive hotels. Many people are drawn to the experience of casino gaming right in their living rooms. It is relatively easy to play in online casino plus new players get to enjoy bonuses and freebies though not in the form of buffets, show tickets or room upgrades as land-based casinos would provide. Bonuses in online casinos are usually in cash or credits that players can use to play more games. Bonuses are earned when the player makes a deposit but a deposit is not a requirement to be able to play online though most online casinos would require bank or credit card information.

Casino Poland Poker Games

New players can also use the free games that online casinos provide for a limited time. This is an opportunity for players to get acquainted with how online gaming goes, how to pick a game, betting requirements, the duration of games and so on.