A new decree signed by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will see online poker banned in this European country. Poker fans are thus banned from taking part in poker games within the country, and they are not allowed to play online. This is the latest step taken by the Polish government to regulate the online gambling and betting market in the country, limiting wagering options to horse racing and sports betting only. The government has explained that it allows these forms of gambling because their outcome is dependent on real time.
Strangely, the government seems to be on an all out crusade against poker, ignoring statistics which show that it is a game based on skill, and publishing information in the local media that poker is a game based on a “random element”. An article which appeared in the local media last week noted that the country’s undersecretary of finance, Jacek Kapica “believes that poker is a gambling game, based on a random element (a hand of cards), as it was confirmed by the Administrative Court verdict.”
“Worse,” reads the article, “it’s a game, leading to addiction, because of direct participation in it which is followed by its immediate results.”
The government is apparently afraid that it will not be able to control online poker, nor will it be in a position to prevent collusion and cheating. The president expressed his concern that online poker could lead to money laundering and tax avoidance.
As to be expected, the government’s new decree, which will be signed into law next month, has come under fire by the European Union, which claims that the laws are contrary to competition and free trade policies between member states.
The Secretary General of EGBA (European Gaming and Betting Association), said that although the group welcomes Poland’s moves to regulate online poker, the current draft makes it impossible for EU licensed operators to apply for license in Poland.
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