Call for competition: EU panel challenges Poland's iGaming market hold
An expert panel, held on April 24 in Katowice as part of the European Economic Congress, called for ending Poland’s monopoly over iGaming as it is not in line with the rest of Europe. The panel called for greater state action in tackling illegal gambling sites in the country.
Totalizator Sportowy, the state-run monopoly
For context, in Poland, sports betting is open to private companies. However, when turning to online slots or casino games—there is only one name in the game—Totalizator Sportowy, the state-run monopoly, operated under the Ministry of Finance. Poland’s gambling trade association (Graj Legalnie) President Zdzislaw Kostrubala, referring to data published by the Ministry of Finance, claimed there were 50,000 domains of illegal games that exist, with more continuing to be created. However, he noted that it is not possible to block all such sites.
Panelist Piotr Palutkiewicz, vice president (VP) of the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, said that law and monopoly model . As quoted by media, he said, “Even a consumer who wants to play legally, without knowing that he is dealing with only one legal entity, will inadvertently and unknowingly start playing at illegal casinos anyway.”
Another persistent issue that remains common in some European Union (EU) states is a lack of awareness from the public on legality. A recent report by the Swedish regulator found that as many as 72 percent of gamblers claimed that they could not distinguish between licensed and unlicensed gambling products. The survey, conducted by research firm Enkätfabriken, sampled 1,644 individuals in November 2023, of whom 1,164 had gambled in the past 12 months.
EU is leaning toward open markets
Palutkiewicz noted that Poland is one of only a handful of markets that have maintained a monopoly in iGaming. From Sweden to Finland, the EU is leaning toward open markets with responsible oversight, with Finland being the most recent nation to announce that it is moving away from its gambling monopoly structure. Even Norway, one of the last remaining gambling monopolies, may flip its stance after the 2025 elections.
The panel discussion also noted the threat that illegal sites pose to the consumers and the state. Citing data, they revealed how a staggering PLN230 billion (about $61 billion) has reportedly flowed into tax havens via illegal gambling activities. That translates to PLN5.8 billion (roughly $1.5 billion) in lost taxes—money that could be fueling healthcare, infrastructure, and education.
In January, there were calls that Norway must re-regulate its gambling market. The head of the Norwegian Gambling and Foundation Authority, Atle Hamar, stated that Norway has no current discussions in place to change the gambling model to a licensing system. He said “I need to rely on what the government and parliament’s decision is, that’s my job. If they decided on a different model, then I would regulate after that model, no problem.”
In another news, Kindred Group, the operator of Unibet, announced its complete exit from the Polish market following the company’s acquisition by La Française des Jeux (FDJ). The move aligned with the company’s commitment to operating solely in regulated markets.
