Why Poland Needs A Dedicated Gambling Commission More Than Ever Before

The phenomenon of online gambling in Europe has been on the rise for over twenty years now. Since 1994, when the first virtual casino software emerged, the online gambling world has been experiencing the growth of interest not only among experienced, land-based casino players but also amateurs who got to see lucrative opportunities in virtual gambling.

Together with the iGaming market expansion, there comes a risk of fraudulent and illegal activities from both player and operator sides. But such rules, in order to be broken, must first be transparently established. And this is when many European countries fail, including Poland which records more and more cases of remote gambling operators targeting their nation.

Limiting The Already Limited Source

If we look into the UK's gambling market, the first authority that comes to our mind is the UK Gambling Commission that regulates the industry. In short, the non-departmental commission is responsible for regulating and supervising the law concerning nearly all forms of gambling in Great Britain. Land-based arcades, lotteries, remote gambling - the number of gambling outlets and areas to control is big and the public body cannot complain about the lack of work.

The UKGC, as well as many other similar authorities such as the Malta Gaming Authority, have the lengthy list of responsibilities. Guaranteeing the fairness of gaming experiences, separation of funds, prevention of criminal activities and licensing trustworthy operators - these and tens of other tasks constitute to the work of individual gambling governing bodies.

And, last but not least, such organisations ensure operator accountability, checking upon the fairness and reliability of casinos. They act as a protector of individuals who, in case of any possible disputes between an operator and a player, can lodge a complaint to be further investigated by such a commission. And this is exactly the field in which Poland lacks both the much-needed sources and expertise. Having no dedicated gaming commission, any problems and disputes emerging in the field of gambling are subject to the civil law of Poland.

In other words, if a player notices any shortcomings from the casino's side and fails to come to terms with the given operator, he or she will have to directly file a court lawsuit. The case can be subject to multiple powers - from courts of appeal to provincial courts and district courts, among others. This means the journey to justice can be incredible long, time-consuming and also costly, which not everyone will be able to afford.

Fighting For One's Rights

The recent case of Marcin Krzywkowski, a Polish casino enthusiast who was refused to use Fortuna's sportsbook services after having won substantial amounts, perfectly presents the country's current perspective. The gambler, known to have won millions of Polish zloty due to his casino activities, has sued Fortuna which instructed the company's staff not to serve the customer anymore. The casino's client was not informed about the reasoning behind this decision which also violated the player's privacy rights by exposing his personal data to third-party individuals without consent.

According to KasynoOrzel, a Polish gambling-related portal, the gambling law in Poland is both difficult to execute and understand. With the only one, state-owned company Totalizator Sportowy that is allowed to operate a legal online casino in the country, remote entities face incredible problems to target Polish players. The situation is no less harsh for casino users themselves - having no authorities to refer to when in need, they are left alone in all possible scenarios.

Currently, there is no plans for bringing to life any dedicated organisations that could positively contribute to a better landscape of the gambling industry in the country. Poles still have a long way to go in creating both a player and casino-friendly system which will cater for the needs of both parties. Hopefully, with the further development of the gaming market in Poland, the need of establishing a country-specific gaming commission will emerge naturally in the coming years.