Poland Will Regulate Online Gambling | IXGAMES
Poland’s Deputy Finance Minister Jacek Kapica has announced his government’s plan to regulate the online gambling industry. This is expected to take place by the end of 2008. The reasons behind the Polish change of mind was provided by Mr. Kapica when he said: ‘We cannot control this process anyway and it is better that the Budget at least derives some revenue from it.’ It seems as if Poland has sided with the more optimistic forecast. The Government estimates that gross online gambling revenues could reach the high billion (as much as $48 billion by 2010). Lastly - the pressure from Europe, the European Union (EU), and especially its Court of Justice seems practically insurmountable. Last year’s ECJ ruling that Italy may not use criminal law to ban online gambling sites based in European member countries will most likely influence other countries, in addition to Poland, already in coming months. (Polish press sources have reported extensively on the Governments attempts at possibly emulating Italys regulations on online gambling following the favourable ruling in the Placanica case by the European Court of Justice in March of last year).
WELCOME POLAND TO THE ONLINE GAMBLING INDUSTRY