Legal Casinos in Poland - Everything You Need to Know About Gambling in Poland
- Damian Brzeski
- Mar 18
- 7 min read
Did you know that there is only one legal online casino in Poland? This is all due to strict legal regulations that have been shaping the gambling market in our country for years.
If you are wondering which casinos are legal, what penalties apply for playing on unauthorized sites, and what taxes apply to legal gambling – this article will dispel your doubts.
Find out what the situation is like for casinos in Poland and what you need to watch out for to avoid high fines or losing money!
Legal regulations regarding casinos in Poland
The Gambling Act of 2009 and its amendment in 2017
The legal basis regulating gambling in Poland is the Gambling Act of 19 November 2009. Its main purpose was to limit access to games of chance and to counteract addiction and money laundering.
The key assumptions of the Act included:
Introduction of strict licensing rules for casinos and bookmakers.
Limiting the number of casinos in Poland to a maximum of one casino per 250,000 inhabitants.
State monopoly on organizing online casino games.
In 2017, the Act was amended, which resulted in:
Tightening control over online gambling by blocking access to foreign online casinos.
Establishment of Total Casino as the only legal online casino gaming platform in Poland.
Tougher penalties for illegal gambling , including the possibility of imposing fines of up to PLN 4.4 million on people using illegal gambling platforms.
Ministry of Finance as a body supervising the gambling market
The Ministry of Finance is responsible for overseeing the gambling market in Poland, issuing licenses for operating land-based casinos and bookmakers. The Ministry is also responsible for enforcing gambling regulations and monitoring operators for compliance with the law.
The main tasks of the Ministry of Finance include:
Issuing licenses to operate casinos and mutual betting.
Monitoring the gambling market and combating illegal practices.
Maintaining the Register of Prohibited Gambling Domains .
Register of prohibited gambling domains – how does it work?
As part of the amendment to the Gambling Act in 2017 , the Register of Prohibited Gambling Domains was created, which contains websites offering illegal gambling games.
How does the registry work?
Blocking websites – Internet operators are obliged to block access to websites listed in the register.
Payment Blocking – Banks and payment providers cannot process transactions related to domains listed in the registry.
Update – The register is regularly updated by the Ministry of Finance and can be checked at hazard.mf.gov.pl .
There are currently over 46,800 blocked websites in the registry.
People who use illegal gambling platforms may be fined up to PLN 4.4 million, while operators face a fine of up to PLN 28 million and up to 3 years in prison.
Total Casino – the only legal online casino
In Poland, the only legal online gambling platform is Total Casino . The service was launched in 2018 and is run by Totalizator Sportowy , which has the exclusive license to organize online casino games.
Total Casino offers:
Slot machines (slots)
Online Roulette
Card games (blackjack, baccarat, poker)
Live Dealer Games
Registration at Total Casino requires providing personal data and completing an identity verification process. Playing on this platform is fully legal, and winnings are taxed in accordance with Polish law.
Totalizator Sportowy as the operator of Total Casino
Totalizator Sportowy is a state-owned company subordinate to the Ministry of Finance, which has a monopoly on organizing online number and casino games. As part of this monopoly, it runs Total Casino and offers popular games such as Lotto and Eurojackpot.
The role of Totalizator Sportowy:
Total Casino Management and Development
Ensuring the security of transactions and the fairness of games
Cooperation with supervisory authorities in the field of counteracting addictions
Thanks to state supervision, Total Casino provides players with protection and a safe gaming environment.
Online Casino License – Requirements and Procedures
To legally run an online casino in Poland, the operator must obtain a license from the Ministry of Finance . Currently, Totalizator Sportowy is the only entity with such a license.
Requirements for an online casino operator:
Share capital of at least PLN 4 million
Financial security in the amount of PLN 1.2 million
Headquarters in Poland
Internet domain ending with .pl
Fulfillment of technical and legal requirements specified by the Ministry of Finance
Procedure for obtaining a license:
Submitting an application to the Ministry of Finance along with the required documents
Verification of the applicant's financial and technical capacity
Assessment of safety systems and responsible gaming policies
Decision of the Ministry of Finance on granting or rejecting the application
Obtaining a license is a lengthy process that can take up to several months. That is why, since 2017, Total Casino remains the only legal online casino in Poland.
Number and location of land-based casinos
There are about 49 legal land-based casinos in Poland, located in larger cities. Below is a list of casinos divided into cities.
Warsaw (7 casinos)
Marriott Hotel & Casino Warsaw
Casino Warsaw (Hilton Hotel)
Hit Casino
Casino Poland (Hotel Victoria)
Hit Casino Golden Tulip
Hit Casino Hotel Radisson
Hit Casino Żwirki i Wigury
Krakow (5 casinos)
Casino Poland (Holiday Inn)
Hit Casino Hotel Galaxy
Hit Casino Hotel Qubus
Hit Casino Hotel Novotel Centrum
Casino Royal
Wroclaw (4 casinos)
Casino Poland (John Paul II Hotel)
Hit Casino Hotel Monopoly
Hit Casino Hotel Sofitel
Hit Casino Radisson Blu
Poznan (4 casinos)
Casino Poland (Sheraton Hotel)
Hit Casino Andersia
Hit Casino Novotel Centrum
Hit Casino Ikar Plaza
Gdansk (3 casinos)
Casino Poland (Hilton Hotel)
Hit Casino Hotel Mercure
Hit Casino Hotel Radisson Blu
Sopot (1 casino)
Casino Polonia (Grand Hotel Sopot)
Gdynia (1 casino)
Hit Casino Gdynia
Katowice (3 casinos)
Casino Poland (Hotel Katowice)
Hit Casino Hotel Monopoly
Hit Casino Altus
Lodz (2 casinos)
Hit Casino Hotel Andel's
Casino Poland (DoubleTree by Hilton)
Szczecin (2 casinos)
Casino Poland (Hotel Radisson Blu)
Hit Casino Hotel Novotel
Bydgoszcz (2 casinos)
Casino Poland (City Hotel)
Hit Casino Hotel Mercure
Lublin (1 casino)
Hit Casino Hotel Victoria
Bialystok (1 casino)
Hit Casino Hotel Gołębiewski
Toruń (1 casino)
Hit Casino Hotel Copernicus
Rzeszow (1 casino)
Hit Casino Hotel Bristol
Zakopane (1 casino)
Hit Casino Hotel Nosalowy Dwór
Most casinos are located in hotels and operate in accordance with Polish gambling regulations. Only adults (18+) are allowed to enter the casinos and must show an ID.
What are the taxes and fees in legal casinos in Poland?
In Poland, gambling is covered by a special tax system that applies to both casino operators and players.
Gambling tax is 50% of casino revenue and is levied on the difference between players' deposits and withdrawals. This applies to land-based casinos and Total Casino. Online and land-based bookmakers are subject to a lower rate of 12% on each bet .
For players, the key issue is taxation of winnings . In the case of winnings in land-based casinos, including Total Casino, the tax is 10% , but it is automatically collected by the casino when withdrawing funds, which means that the player does not have to settle accounts with the tax office on their own.
It is important to note that in the case of winnings from bookmakers and lotteries, the 10% tax only applies to amounts exceeding PLN 2,280 – smaller winnings are exempt from taxation.
The tax does not apply to social games such as home poker, provided they are not organised for commercial purposes.
What are the alternatives to online casinos in Poland?
In Poland, apart from online casinos, there are other legal forms of gambling that may interest players looking for an alternative to Total Casino.
Betting is the most popular legal option. It includes sports betting and horse racing, which can be placed both online and in-store.
Legal betting is run by companies licensed by the Ministry of Finance, such as STS, Fortuna, Betclic or BetFan . They are subject to a 12% tax on the stake, but some companies offer promotions that reduce this cost.
Online poker in Poland is strictly regulated. It can only be legally played in tournaments organized by Totalizator Sportowy on the Total Casino platform. Private companies cannot offer online poker games, and playing on foreign platforms is illegal.
For poker fans, there are legal tournaments organized in land-based casinos.
Slot machines are available only in land-based casinos and in Totalizator Sportowy gaming arcades. These arcades operate under the "Automatyka" brand and offer slot machines that comply with Polish law. In addition, any other places offering slot games without a license are illegal.
Although the choice of legal forms of gambling in Poland is limited, players can use bookmakers, legal poker and slot machines at designated locations. It is crucial to avoid illegal sites and gambling establishments to avoid legal consequences.
International Gambling Licenses and Polish Law - Is It Legal?
Poland has strict gambling regulations and foreign licenses are not recognized. This means that casinos licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) , although operating legally in many European Union countries, are illegal in Poland unless they have a license from the Ministry of Finance.
A similar situation applies to casinos operating under the Curacao eGaming license, which often offer their services to Polish players, but according to Polish law their activity is prohibited. Playing on such platforms may result in financial penalties.
The UK Gambling Commission and other European regulations, such as licenses issued by Gibraltar or Isle of Man, are also not honored in Poland. Any foreign platform that has not obtained a Polish license is subject to blocking and is listed in the Register of Prohibited Gambling Domains .
How to recognize a legal online casino?
There is only one legal online casino in Poland – Total Casino , owned by Totalizator Sportowy. However, if players want to make sure they are using a legal platform, they should pay attention to a few key issues.
Remember! A legal online casino must have a license from the Polish Ministry of Finance and operate on a domain ending in .pl . Information about the license can be checked on the official website of the Ministry and in the regulations of the given casino. If the casino is not listed in the register of legal operators, its activity is illegal in Poland.
Transaction security and data protection Legal casinos use SSL certificates to ensure data encryption and protect financial transactions. Additionally, they use secure payment methods such as Przelewy24, BLIK or bank cards . Avoiding casinos without security is a key step in protecting your funds.
Responsible Gaming and Player Regulations Total Casino and licensed bookmakers are required to apply the principles of responsible gaming , which includes the ability to set deposit limits, self-exclusion and access help for people with gambling problems.
Illegal casinos often do not offer such protections, which increases the risk of addiction.
Remember! Playing in illegal online casinos can result in fines and loss of funds, so always check the operator's license and domain.
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