Poland’s Licensed Betting Turnover Increases in 2019

The regulated bookmakers in Poland have generated a combined turnover of €1.58bn in 2019, a 28.8% year-on-year increase but less than the unlicensed market, according to figures from legal association Graj Legalnie.

The state took in PLN800m through gambling taxes from licensed operators, of which STS was the largest, making up 45.5% of the market. Fortuna was the second most popular regulated betting operator in Poland, with a 31.3% market share, while ForBet was in third with a market share of 6.1%.

Graj Legalnie found that in November 2019, three unlicensed foreign operators had a combined 2.1m hits from Poland, despite the fact that their websites are listed in a blocking register kept by the Polish Ministry of Finance. The association also said that it reported 1830 illegal gambling websites to this register, of which 1303 have not yet been included.

In addition, it provided a list of suggestions to limit unlicensed online gambling in Poland. The association recommended the creation of a dedicated regulator with a precisely defined list of tasks, modelled on the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority, to provide oversight to the sector.