The History of the Gaming Industry in Poland

Gambling is among the ancient activities that have been practiced for many centuries in most countries all over the world. Gambling in card games, sports betting like horse racing, and bingo are among the earliest forms of gambling. Poland is no exception as it has a rich gambling history that dates back centuries ago.

The passion for gambling is rising in the current days. Gambling laws and regulations of Poland have, however, experienced great changes as time goes by. Poland has been one of the member countries of the European Union since 2004 and has a rich gaming history. There are, however, significant exemptions and restrictions for gambling activities here in Poland.

However, the bottom line is that online gaming is fully legal in Poland and continues to attract new players as the days go by. Based on our interaction with Klara Czerwinska, gaming in Poland has gone through various phases to be where it is today.

When was iGaming legalized in Poland?

The Finance Ministry regulates present-day all gambling activity in Poland. The most recent amendments to gambling laws were made in 2009. Online gambling is fully legal in Poland; however, the gambling industry is majorly state-owned. However, players from Poland are at liberty to play in offshore online casinos that accept Polish players. 

Gamblers can now access traditional games such as roulette as well as new ones on these online casinos. Information about games such as roulette and the sites that offer it is also available through expert reviews on ruletka online na pieniądze.

History of the gambling industry in Poland

The First Polish Casinos

The first Polish casino was established back in 1920 in Sopot City. Sopot City, located deep down near the sea, was a great spot for establishing a casino. It was a great tourist attraction that attracted both domestic and international artists. The casino offered traditional games, including Blackjack and Roulette, and had an age restriction policy where only patrons over 18 years were allowed in the casino. 

The casino experienced tremendous growth thanks to the numerous players who were willing to play in the casino. The casino was later upgraded to a casino hotel in 1927, and it became Sopot’s main source of income. After the popularity of the casino hotel in the 1930s, other casinos were put up to cater to the growing number of players. The casinos, however, did not last long as the Second World War erupted, which saw a decline in tourism due to the war.

The Red Army was responsible for destroying most of the upcoming casinos in Poland at the time. However, the first casino hotel located in Sopot was not destroyed as it was turned into a field hospital where wounded soldiers were admitted and treated. The war progressed for quite some time until 1946 when the Second World War was over in Sopot. The Orbis Casino Group, among the biggest casino operators in Poland, bought the casino and later renamed it the Grand Hotel. 

Gambling During the USSR

After the end of the Second World War in 1946, the Soviets took control of most countries in Eastern Europe, including Poland. The Soviets are known for their strict gambling rules, which only meant that most casinos couldn’t operate. The Polferries was the only company operating gambling sports like slot machines, roulette, and Blackjack despite the ban on all gambling activities by the soviets. The blanket ban lasted for 43 years and ended in 1989 after the USSR started becoming weak.

Gambling After the USSR

Shortly after lifting the ban on gambling, in 1998, the first land-based casino (Pod Roza) was established in Krakow. The renowned Casino Poland owned pod Roza, and it saw a revolution in gambling in Poland. More and more casinos were later opened up thanks to the positive embrace from the Polish people. 

Poland became a gaming hub for the whole world in the 80s and early 90s until 1992 when the government introduced a new set of regulations on casino gaming. One of the strict regulations by the Poland Government of the time was that only one casino would be operational in a city with less than 250,000 residents.

Based on the history of gaming and technological advancement seen in recent years, gambling in Poland is expected to grow as the days go by. It is expected that future amendments to the gambling laws and the evolution of video games will see the government allow online casinos to operate from Poland, leading to more income to the government in the form of taxes.