Poland passes new gambling act

The Lower house passed a law that seeks the reduction of the illegal gambling activities in the country.

Poland.- The Lower House of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) passed a law that is set to reduce illegal gambling activities in the country, besides increasing the money that the government gets from legal gambling.

“The new rules are also likely to increase the protection of players, including minors, from the negative effects of gambling and increase tax revenues from legal gambling. The Act, among other things, expands the list of games that can be offered on the internet, of which virtually all will be gambling,” said the Sejm in a press release.

According to the Association of Employers and Employees of Bookmakers, the Treasury suffers big losses that reach US$1.4 billion every year in potential tax revenue because of the illegal activities. They said that until now, there have been extremely unfavorable conditions for bookmakers who are honestly doing business. “As a result, about 90 percent of the online market is one of the entities operating in Poland that do not respect national law and do not pay taxes. They represent unfair competition for companies operating legally who pay taxes and employ thousands,” they added.