The ever-growing online gambling market is just unstoppable – evaluated at approximately $75 billion in the third quarter of 2021, it is expected to double by the middle of the decade – and so is the Polish segment of it. According to different estimates, 15% to 20% of Poles gamble at least once a year, with three leading lottery websites – Lotto.pl, STS.pl, and LVbet.pl – being home to over 6.4 million users. An average Polish gambler spends up to half an hour on a gambling session, a pastime repeated a few times a month.

Paradoxically, though, online gambling in Poland becomes even more monopolized than it was a decade ago. With a single legal casino in the whole market (Total Casino run by Totalizator Sportowy), it might seem impossible to find a safe haven to indulge your beloved blackjack, poker, and games alike with no risk.

Fortunately, just like it’s often the case with gambling legislation, there are quite a few loopholes that give you every chance to enjoy all the range of online games at 22Bet and other classy casinos and bookies. How is that possible? To find this out, let’s take a deep dive into the intricacies of Polish online gambling laws along with Aleksandra Maj, a gambling shark from KasynoHEX.

Polish Online Gambling Landscape: State-Run Monopoly with Flaws

The whole history of online gambling in Poland can be divided into two distinctive periods – before and after the adoption of the Gambling Law of 19 November 2009, a document that streamlined – or some may say monopolized – the hitherto unregulated industry. Since then, all forms of online gambling barring lotteries are provided by the state-owned Totalizator Sportowy.

But worse came to worst on April 1, 2017, when the most recent amendment to the Gambling Law went into effect to tighten the stranglehold even further. From that time on,

• All unlicensed casinos are blacklisted by the Minister of Finance, whereas all users that are trying to access unlicensed casinos are redirected to the governmental website explaining the gruesome state of affairs.
• Payment providers are not permitted to process payment to unlicensed casinos operating in Poland.

On paper, the measures taken should have purified the Polish online gambling market, directing all customers to a single state-run casino, but that hasn’t happened so far. Why? Arguably because of a gaping loophole in the legislation. Read on.

Are You Under Threat When You Access Offshore Online Casino from Poland?

The good news is, as a player, you are free to access any websites you want – including classy casinos like Slottica, Vulkan Vegas, and Energy Casino – not being afraid to be caught red-handed. How is that possible? 

According to the Polish gambling laws, all the limitations, restrictions, and penalties apply to those running a gambling business – that is, casino operators – but not punters themselves. Therefore, the worst-case scenario would be that you are denied access to your casino – but only if you’re using your real IP address. If a VPN is at work, the problem won’t arise in the first place.

Anyway, if you are willing to stay on the legal side of the fence and be as law-abiding as you can be, you still have an option: Total Casino, a state-run online gambling venue offering slots, poker, roulette, blackjack, jackpot games, and live casino games. They have even incorporated some thematic games, but the selection is still a far cry from that of international giants.

How to Stay Safe at an Offshore Casino?

Even though nothing threatens you as a player, you have to be very careful with your choice of online casino. One of the best ways to go would be to stick with the expert opinion – feel free to take advantage of KasynoHEX, a leading casino aggregator – but you can also make your own research, assessing your potential casino’s gaming collection, licenses, payment options, customer support, bonuses, and other factors that you think can affect your experience.

Last but not least, keep in mind that gambling is addictive. If you’ve revealed symptoms of gambling addiction in yourself or your loved ones, immediately ask for help at any of the international – Gamblers Anonymous, BeGambleAware, GamCare, etc. – or your local problem gambling organizations.