What licences / permits / notifications are required to exercise different types of activities

The rules for the organisation of individual gambling activities in Poland are set out in the Gambling Law Act of 19 November 2009.

In Poland, the state has monopoly over number lottery games, lotteries with cash prizes, telebingo and electronic gaming machines outside of casinos.

Other games and betting may be organised by private entities after they have met relevant statutory requirements.

A concession from the Minister for Finance is necessary to operate a casino in Poland. A casino may organise roulette-like games, card games, dice games and games on electronic machines. There is a limit on the number of casinos that can operate in Poland.

A permit issued by the Minister for Finance is necessary to operate a bingo parlour with cash prizes and to organise betting, both offline and online.

For each type of licence / permit / notification, the relevant procedures

The following entities may apply for a concession to run a casino or a permit to run a bingo parlour or to organise betting: entities operating as a joint-stock company or a limited liability company established in Poland whose shareholders are legal persons and individuals from a European Union Member State or a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

If an entity established in another European Union Member State or a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area who is already running such operations wishes to apply for a concession or a permit, they must appoint a representative or set up a branch in Poland. The documents and information listed in the Gambling Law Act must be attached to an application for concession or permit. The Minister for Finance has 6 months to handle the application.

Documents in a foreign language or their copies must be accompanied with certified translation into Polish.

For each type of licence/permit/notification, the contact details of the relevant authorities

Applications for concessions and permits should be sent to:

Ministerstwo Finansów
ul. Świętokrzyska 12
00-916 Warsaw
Email address: kancelaria@mf.gov.pl
e-PUAP post box: /bx1qpt265q/SkrytkaESP

A permit from the director of the regional revenue administration office is required to organise tombola, bingo with non-cash prizes, promotional lotteries and lotteries based on telephone call / text message participation.

Applications should be submitted to the director of the regional revenue administration office competent for the area where such games will be organised and run. In other cases, when the applicant is not established or has no place of residence in Poland, or if the territorial competence of an authority cannot be determined, the competent authority is the Director of the Warsaw Regional Revenue Administration Office. The documents and information listed in the Gambling Law Act must be attached to an application for concession or permit.

Lotteries or bingo games with non-cash prizes where the value of the prizes is not high and does not exceed the threshold set in the Gambling Law Act should be notified to the head of the customs and revenue office competent for the area where such games are organised and run. If the applicant is from abroad, then the notification should be filed with the Head of the Mazowieckie Customs and Revenue Office in Warsaw. If such lotteries and bingo games with non-cash prizes are run in an area for which more than one director of the customs and revenue office is competent, then the notification should be filed with the head of the customs and revenue office who is competent for the applicant’s place of residence or the place where the applicant or the branch of a foreign operator is established. The documents and information listed in the Gambling Law Act must be attached to the notification.

A competitive poker game must be notified to the director of the regional revenue administration office competent for the area where the competition is run. The documents and information listed in the Gambling Law Act must be attached to the notification. Before the notification is filed, the rules for the tournament should be approved by the Minister for Finance.

The contact details of customs and revenue offices which grant permits to run lotteries and bingo games with non-cash prizes, promotional lotteries and lotteries based on telephone call / text message participation and which must be notified of the organisation of poker games, depending on the place where the game is run or the place where the organiser is established, are listed here: gov.pl/web/kas/dane-teleadresowe-jednostek-kas.

Any means of redress available in case of a dispute with competent authorities, with clients or between businesses

Generally, if administrative authorities issue a decision unfavourable for the economic operator, such a decision can be appealed against to a higher instance authority. When all administrative appeal measures have been exhausted, an economic operator who is not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal procedure may file a complaint against such a decisions or order with a competent provincial administrative court.

Disputes with clients or other economic operators are not subject to review by state administration authorities and are handled as described in detail in civil law provisions.

Contact details of associations or organisations involved in the organisation of gambling

1. Stowarzyszenie na rzecz likwidacji szarej strefy zakładów wzajemnych w Polsce ‘Graj legalnie’ [Association for the Elimination of Black Economy Betting in Poland ‘Bet legally’], ul. Grzybowska 87, 00-844 Warsaw
2. Polska Izba Gospodarcza Branży Rozrywkowej i Bukmacherskiej [Polish Chamber of Commerce of the Entertainment and Bookmaker Industry], ul. Jaszowiecka 8 lok. 4U, 02-934 Warsaw
3. Izba Gospodarcza Producentów i Operatorów Urządzeń Rozrywkowych [Chamber of Commerce of Manufacturers and Operators of Entertainment Equipment], ul. Wilcza 54A lok. 7, 00-679 Warsaw
4. Polskie Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Promowania Odpowiedzialnej Gry [Polish Association for the Promotion of Responsible Gambling], ul. Polnej Róży 6 / 69, 02-798 Warsaw
5. Stowarzyszenie Ekspertów i Doradców Rynku Gier Hazardowych [Association of Experts and Consultants of the Gambling Market], ul. Wolność 3a, 01-018 Warsaw
6. Stowarzyszenie Pracodawców i Pracowników Firm Bukmacherskich [Association of the Employers and Employees of the Betting Industry], ul. Widok 20, 00-023 Warsaw
7. Związek Pracodawców Prowadzących Gry Losowe i Zakłady Wzajemne [Association of the Employers of the Games of Chance and Betting Industry], ul. Polna 40, 00-635 Warsaw.