Polish government sketches out new gambling framework

The Polish government yesterday confirmed plans to tax operators at 20% on gross gaming revenues (GGR) as the country edges closer to adopting a new regulatory framework.

Vice Prime Minister Jaros??aw Gowin on Sunday revealed the impending draft bill would see the end of the current turnover-based 12% tax on sports betting in favour of one derived from revenues.

Speaking at a press conference alongside the president of the Polish Football Federation, Gowin said the intention of regulation would be to boost funding for Polish sport and to reduce the size of the grey market.

“We want Poland in this sphere to prevail with normality and common sense,” the vice Prime Minister said.

“We want to move away from solutions that make 95% of betting a grey area [which] as a result, the Polish budget annually loses hundreds of millions of zlotys,” he added.

Under the Polish government’s current plans, 7% of the revenues derived from gambling would go to the development of Polish sport, while a further 3% would go to a problem gambling fund.

Online poker would also be regulated but there was no mention of any plans to regulate online casino.