History of Gambling in Poland
On August 6, 1930, Poland’s Sopot welcomed its first land-based casino, followed by another one that opened its doors a year later- Zoppoter Kasino GmbH. Only those who were 21 years or older were permitted to gamble, with baccarat and roulette being the only available games. However, this complex, including the hotel, was destroyed by Red Army in 1945.
Until a new establishment opened (on the same location where Sopot’s venue used to be), fans of gambling could visit ferries sailing to Scandinavia, and try luck with roulette, blackjack, and one-armed bandits. After WWII, “Pod Roza” started operating on July 15, 1989.
Nowadays, the Ministry of Finance is the one in charge of regulating and controlling the gambling market of the country, granting permissions for a period of up to 6 years. According to the rules, cities with up to 250 thousand residents can have one betting venue, with the number going up by one, for each consecutive 250 thousand residents. Age limits have changed, so now people over 18 are permitted to participate in betting.
Online Bingo for Polish Players Nowadays
At the time being, the only permitted form of online gambling is sports betting. Punters can access them on local websites, but if they are interested in exploring other genres, they have to turn to foreign websites. This includes not only slots, table games, and live dealer, but bingo games as well.
It’s important to stress out that starting July 1, 2017, a government has started blacklisting offshore unlicensed sites, striving to keep the market clean. According to the data from March 2021, over 13,800 addresses were blocked in the country. On top of that, payment providers were instructed to stop providing their services to such platforms.
On the other hand, there’s plenty of reputable and licensed foreign websites which do accept players from Poland (and aren’t on the country’s blacklist). These venues offer an excellent selection of player-favorite games such as 90-ball bingo and 75-ball bingo, along with other innovative formats. The vast majority of them even hosts a great assortment of other casino games, giving consumers plenty of options to choose from.
Aside from the selection of games, it is important to check the payment methods offered by the operator. Like in many countries, credit and debit cards are most popular, but players also turn to other methods of transactions such as e-wallets (Skrill, PayU, DotPay) and bank transfers. The last is the least popular, but if no other options are offered, it can do.
Regarding Bitcoin and other crypto assets, they are still not regulated by a legal act, but are not prohibited either. There are lots of gambling sites offering cryptocurrency gambling to Polish players.
Which Measures for Player Protection Are Available?
One of the measures of protection has to do with gambling advertising. At the time being, it is illegal to advertise any form of gambling in Poland, but there are a couple of exceptions, which refer to lotteries or non-public forms of advertising.
Other than that, almost all casinos have some responsible gambling tools featured on the website. Players who want to organize their spending can set limits on deposits, losses, or wagers. Those who want to ensure they are not spending too much can activate reality check- in some jurisdictions this option is even mandatory.
Furthermore, one can take a break from the activity by opting to cool off or even self-exclude. During this period an operator shouldn’t send any promotional messages or information about promotions to a self-excluded client.
Plus, almost every platform incorporates links to versatile helpful organizations and institutions specialized in providing support to consumers experiencing gambling-related harms. Some of them even have helplines, providing advice over the phone.
Top Tips to Select the Best Online Bingo Room
Though Polish people are described as the ones who hate rules, playing by the rules in the gambling industry is the only way to ensure a pleasurable and safe gaming experience. Here are a couple of directions which may help players select a good online bingo room:
- See if the operator has a license; though there are no venues approved by the local institutions, look for the license seal issued by the United Kingdom, Malta, Curacao, Alderney, or any other respectable jurisdiction
- Check out what types of games are offered- if you prefer some other genres as well, pick operators whose lobbies contain slots, table games, or live dealer products; if the fun mode is offered, use it to try a couple of games
- Pay attention to the banking policy and available payment methods; see the permitted min and max amount to deposit and cash out; don’t forget to explore whether KYC is required and which documents are needed for the procedure
- Explore the bonuses and Loyalty programs as well as the accompanying rules, with particular focus on wagering requirements, duration, and contributing games
There are a couple of more factors that can make difference and help you make up your mind, such as customer support, mobile optimization, and ease of navigation. Finally, always read Terms and Conditions carefully.
Have fun and play responsibly!
History of Gambling in Poland On August 6, 1930, Poland’s Sopot welcomed its first land-based casino, followed by another one that opened its doors a year later- Zoppoter Kasino GmbH. Only those who were 21 years or older were permitted to gamble, with baccarat and roulette being the only available games. However, this complex, including the hotel, was destroyed by Red Army in 1945. Until a new establishment opened (on the same location where Sopot’s venue used to be), fans of gambling...
