Poker With Crypto From Poland
In Poland, online gambling outside the state monopoly is essentially illegal, and the Fiscal Penal Code fines a player for taking part in it from Poland.
The short answer
Under Poland's Gambling Act of 19 November 2009, taking part in online gambling run by anyone other than the state monopoly, such as Totalizator Sportowy, is essentially illegal. Article 107, paragraph 2, of the Fiscal Penal Code sets a fine for simply taking part in a foreign online gambling game from Poland, whether or not you won anything, and the court must order the winnings forfeited. Poland is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries, but that does not change Polish law.
From the sources at the bottom of the page. We are players, not lawyers; this page is what the law and our sources say, not legal advice.
At a glance
- The law
- The law is the Gambling Act of 19 November 2009 (ustawa o grach hazardowych).
- The monopoly
- Taking part in online gambling run by anyone other than the state monopoly, such as Totalizator Sportowy, is essentially illegal, and Polish internet providers block the addresses of illegal gambling sites.
- Players
- Article 107, paragraph 2, of the Fiscal Penal Code sets a fine for taking part in a foreign online gambling game from Poland, whatever the result, and under article 30, paragraph 5, the court must order the winnings forfeited.
- Tax
- Podatki.biz writes that winnings from illegal online gambling are not subject to income tax, because they come from an activity that cannot be the subject of a valid contract, and that this neither makes them legal nor removes the criminal liability.
- The rooms
- Poland is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries. WePlay's licence is from Anjouan and Basepoker's from Costa Rica; neither is a licence from the Polish Minister of Finance.
A state monopoly, and a fine for the player
Under Poland's Gambling Act of 19 November 2009, taking part in online gambling run by anyone other than the state monopoly, such as Totalizator Sportowy, is essentially illegal. The ban covers every operator that runs gambling in Poland without the required licence, wherever it is based, and Polish internet providers block the addresses of illegal gambling sites.
Polish law also punishes the player. Article 107, paragraph 2, of the Fiscal Penal Code sets a fine for simply taking part in a foreign online gambling game from Poland, whether or not you won anything, and under article 30, paragraph 5, the court must order the winnings forfeited to the State Treasury.
What this means for a reader in Poland
Poland is not on WePlay's list of refused countries, and Basepoker's terms name no countries, but both leave the law of your own country to you, and Basepoker asks each player to confirm that they are not in a place where using it is unlawful. Polish law fines a player for taking part in foreign online gambling from Poland. We do not give advice on getting around that, and we do not describe VPNs.
Podatki.biz writes that winnings from such games are not taxed as income, but that this neither makes them legal nor removes the criminal liability. Our strategy pages, the odds chart and the calculators are free to read anywhere.
Time zones
Warsaw is UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, so a 20:30 start on WePlay's GMT+2 schedule is 19:30 in Warsaw in winter and 20:30 in summer. The Tonight page shows every start in your own time zone.
What runs tonight at WePlay and Basepoker, in your own time zone.
Sources
- Podatki.biz: playing at foreign online casinos, the legal and tax risks (article 107 of the Fiscal Penal Code, the state monopoly, forfeiture and income tax)
- WePlay terms and conditions, section 2 (the countries it refuses)
- Basepoker terms of service, sections 1.5 and 5 (the player checks the local law)
Read next
Questions
Is online poker legal in Poland?
Taking part in online gambling run by anyone other than the state monopoly, such as Totalizator Sportowy, is essentially illegal under the Gambling Act of 2009, and the Fiscal Penal Code fines a player who takes part in a foreign online game from Poland.
Can a player be fined in Poland?
Yes. Article 107, paragraph 2, of the Fiscal Penal Code sets a fine for taking part in a foreign online gambling game from Poland, whether or not you won anything, and the court must order the winnings forfeited.