The Warsaw Business Journal describes the Polish parliament as having acted with ‘uncommon alacrity’ in passing an amendment to the country’s gambling law. As previously reported, slot machines in bars and shopping centres will be phased out over the next five years and the new tax regime raises the monthly fee per machine to €500 from €180. Casinos will become the only venues with slot machines. The moves follow a government scandal and also investigations linking some slots operations to organised crime.

Casinos now will face a 50% tax on their profits (up from 45%) but will be permitted to operate a maximum 70 slot machines instead of the present 30. Tax on betting services has also been raised by an additional 2% to 12%. At one stage the draft gambling amendment bill planned a 50% tax on bookmakers but the lower rate is seen as encouragement by the government for foreign online bookmakers to register in Poland and pay taxes.

Online casino gambling will remain illegal and the government is attempting to find ways of blocking the websites that offer the service to Polish citizens. A draft bill on the matter is being prepared but would need to satisfy EU free trade criteria. The gambling amendment bill passed last week now awaits signature by Poland’s president and scrutiny by the Constitutional Tribunal. (E-11.24.09)

© Copyright 2009 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage