An iGaming marketing agency in Poland plans and runs acquisition (SEO, content, paid media, affiliates, sponsorship) and retention for operators that hold a Polish permit, inside the limits of the Gambling Act. In practice, the only private online product that can be legally offered and advertised is sports betting by a bookmaker holding a Ministry of Finance permit; online casino games are a state monopoly run by Totalizator Sportowy, and advertising casino-type games is prohibited (Gambling Act, Art. 5(1b) and Art. 29).
The Gambling Act (Ustawa o grach hazardowych) sets out who may operate, what may be advertised, where and when, and how unlicensed sites are blocked. The rules apply not only to operators but to anyone who commissions, carries out or places gambling advertising, or profits from it (Art. 29(4)). That includes agencies and affiliates.
Basher is an iGaming marketing agency founded in 2020 in Lima, Peru, with offices in Lima, Rotterdam and the Gold Coast, and named AffPapa Agency of the Year 2025. We work only with licensed operators. In Poland that means bookmakers holding a Polish online betting permit. We do not work with offshore casinos or sportsbooks targeting Polish players: their domains end up in the Ministry of Finance register and promoting them is itself unlawful.
Market snapshot 2026
- Law: Gambling Act of 19 November 2009, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 poz. 595.
- Licensing authority: the Minister of Finance grants betting permits and casino concessions; enforcement sits with the National Revenue Administration (KAS) (Ministry of Finance).
- Online casino: state monopoly. All online gambling except betting and promotional lotteries is reserved to the state (Art. 5(1b)), exercised by Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o. (Ministry of Finance) through Total Casino (totalcasino.pl).
- Online betting permits: 18 in force on 31 December 2025, down from 19 a year earlier after one operator left the market (MF report on 2025).
- Who can hold a permit: a joint-stock company or limited liability company seated in Poland (Art. 6(5)), or an equivalent EU/EFTA company acting through a representative or a branch (Art. 7a).
- Games tax: 12% of stakes for betting; 50% of stakes minus winnings for slot, roulette, dice and card games (Art. 73-74).
- Minimum age: 18 (Art. 27(2)).
- Blocking register: more than 51,800 domains listed at the end of 2025, with 3,932 added during 2025 (MF report on 2025); the register itself is public at hazard.mf.gov.pl.
- Advertising: betting advertising allowed only for permit holders and only under Art. 29b; casino-type games may not be advertised (Art. 29).
The Ministry of Finance's annual report gives the size of each regulated segment in 2025 (MF report on 2025):
| Segment (2025) | Revenue reported to MF | Games tax declared | Change in revenue vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online betting (permit holders) | PLN 17.49 bn | PLN 2.10 bn | +17.3% |
| Retail betting shops | PLN 1.25 bn | PLN 0.15 bn | -16.7% |
| Online casino games (state monopoly) | PLN 68.02 bn | PLN 1.36 bn | +34.4% |
For betting, the revenue figure is the stake base: the declared tax is 12% of it. Casino games are taxed on stakes minus winnings, so the casino columns are not comparable with the betting ones. Total games tax revenue for the state budget was PLN 6.19 bn in 2025.
Why this market is hard to enter
The first constraint is product. A private operator cannot get an online casino licence in Poland, because the law reserves online casino games to the state company. If your brand is casino-led, Poland is not an open market for it. The realistic entry route for a private operator is an online betting permit, which requires a Polish company (or an EU/EFTA company with a representative or branch), an approved set of game rules and a responsible gaming policy that has to be presented to the Minister of Finance (Art. 6, 7a and 15i).
The second constraint is the tax base. Betting tax is charged on turnover, not on gross gaming revenue. At 12% of every stake, margin structure, odds policy and bonus cost all have to be modelled before a single media plan is written. Acquisition that brings in low-margin, high-turnover volume can lose money even when the CPA looks good.
The third constraint is enforcement. In 2025 KAS reviewed the Polish internet and found 1,864 web pages on 263 domains carrying prohibited gambling content (MF report on 2025). The domain register covers both sites that run illegal gambling and sites that advertise or promote it (Art. 15f(4)). Of the 3,932 domains added in 2025, 483 were advertising or promotion sites. Internet providers must block a listed domain within 48 hours, and payment providers must stop serving it within 30 days (Art. 15f(5) and 15g).
How Basher executes here
For a licensed Polish bookmaker we usually start with these services:
- SEO and content. The law exempts advertising and promotion on the website named in the permit (Art. 29(5)), which makes the licensed domain the place where product, odds and promotions can be explained in full. We build the site's information architecture around sports, leagues and bet types, and make sure the mandatory responsible gaming information (operator details, permit scope and validity, the 18+ notice, risk information and links to help organisations) is visible as Art. 15i requires.
- Media buying. Paid media is planned around the Art. 29b windows and placements: no TV, radio, cinema or theatre advertising between 06:00 and 22:00 (except during broadcasts of sports events the bookmaker sponsors), nothing in youth press or on newspaper covers, and every ad carrying the three mandatory messages.
- Affiliate marketing. Affiliates in Poland carry the same legal exposure as the operator, because the ban covers anyone who places an ad or benefits from it. We vet partners against the domain register, check that they promote only permit holders, and hold their creative to the Art. 29b content rules.
- Managed CRM, analytics, PR and sponsorships. Retention journeys and reporting built around the 12% stake tax, and sponsorship planned within the name-only rule in Art. 29(3).
Our in-house native languages are English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian. Polish is not one of them, so for Polish-language copy we agree native review with you before anything goes live.
Channel rules in Poland
| Channel | What the Gambling Act says |
|---|---|
| TV, radio, cinema, theatre | Betting ads banned 06:00-22:00, except during sports broadcasts where the bookmaker sponsors the event, a team or a participating athlete (Art. 29b(2)(1)) |
| Press | Not in youth or children's press, not on the covers of newspapers and magazines (Art. 29b(2)(2-3)) |
| Outdoor and public places | Banned, except at mass and sports events the bookmaker sponsors (Art. 29b(2)(4)) |
| Sponsorship | Only betting operators may announce sponsorship, and only with their name or other identifying mark (Art. 29(2)-(3)) |
| Operator's licensed website | Advertising and promotion allowed on the site named in the permit (Art. 29(5)) |
| Casino, slots, card and dice games | No advertising or promotion (Art. 29(1)) |
Regulatory + compliance considerations
Every betting ad must avoid targeting or showing minors, must not link betting with physical or intellectual skill or an easy win, must not present gambling as relaxing or as a way to solve personal or financial problems, must not portray abstaining or moderate play negatively, must not suggest higher stakes improve the chance of winning, and must not evoke sexual attractiveness, relaxation, study or work, or professional, personal or financial success (Art. 29b(1)). Each ad must also state the consequences of taking part in illegal gambling, the risks of gambling, and that the operator holds a betting permit (Art. 29b(3)).
Banking services such as loans may not be offered or advertised on a website where gambling is offered (Art. 29c). Bets on the results of number games are prohibited, and a bookmaker taking bets on sports results needs the consent of the national organisers of those competitions (Art. 31).
Penalties are financial and they reach players too. Running gambling without a permit is fined at five times the permit fee; a player in illegal gambling can be fined 100% of the winnings; internet and payment providers that ignore the register face up to PLN 250,000 (Art. 89). Prohibited advertising is also a fiscal offence under Art. 110a of the Fiscal Penal Code, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Other regulated European markets
Basher has an office in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and runs the same licensed-only playbook in the markets next to Poland: Germany, Czech Republic, the Baltics, Ukraine, Romania. The cross-border view, with every regulator side by side, is on our regulated Europe page, and the full service line-up for operators is on the iGaming marketing agency services page.
FAQs
What does an iGaming agency in Poland do for a licensed operator?
It plans and runs acquisition and retention for a bookmaker holding a Polish online betting permit: SEO and content on the licensed domain, paid media within the Art. 29b time and placement rules, a vetted affiliate programme, CRM and analytics modelled on the 12% stake tax, and name-only sponsorship. Every creative is checked against the content rules and mandatory messages before launch.
Is online casino legal in Poland?
Only through the state. Online casino games are a state monopoly under Art. 5(1b) of the Gambling Act, exercised by Totalizator Sportowy through Total Casino. Private operators cannot obtain an online casino licence, and advertising casino-type games is prohibited.
How many online bookmakers are licensed in Poland?
According to the Ministry of Finance, 18 permits for online betting were in force on 31 December 2025. The Ministry's register blocks unlicensed gambling domains; it listed more than 51,800 at the end of 2025.
How is sports betting taxed in Poland?
At 12% of stakes (Art. 74 and Art. 73 of the Gambling Act). Bets on animal sports competitions, under permits granted only for that purpose, are taxed at 2.5%. Because the tax is on turnover, margin and bonus policy matter more in Poland than in markets that tax gross gaming revenue.
Can a bookmaker advertise on TV in Poland?
Yes, outside 06:00-22:00, and during broadcasts of sports events that the bookmaker sponsors, or where it sponsors a team or athlete taking part. Every ad must carry messages on the risks of gambling, the consequences of illegal gambling and the operator's permit.
Does Basher work with offshore operators targeting Poland?
No. Promoting an operator without a Polish permit is prohibited, the register blocks advertising sites as well as gambling sites, and the ban applies to agencies and affiliates. We only work with Polish permit holders or companies applying for one.
How much does an iGaming marketing agency cost in Poland?
Agency fees follow three models: a monthly retainer (typical for SEO, content and CRM), performance pricing tied to results (CPA, revenue share or a percentage of ad spend) or a hybrid of both. Basher typically works with operators spending USD 25K a month or more in paid media, and supports smaller brands during a launch when there is a clear scaling plan. Directional 2026 ranges by service are in our iGaming marketing agency cost guide.
Get in touch
If you hold a Polish betting permit, are applying for one, or are reviewing Poland within a wider European plan, we can build a marketing plan that fits the Gambling Act from the first brief.
- Book a Poland market review: /contact/
- Read our regulated-Europe regional view: /markets/europe-regulated/
Sources
All sources checked 1 October 2026.
- Ustawa z dnia 19 listopada 2009 r. o grach hazardowych (Gambling Act), ISAP, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 poz. 595
- Ministry of Finance: System gier hazardowych w Polsce
- Ministry of Finance: Informacja o realizacji ustawy o grach hazardowych w roku 2025 (PDF, 2026)
- Ministry of Finance: Rejestr domen służących do oferowania gier hazardowych niezgodnie z ustawą
- Total Casino (Totalizator Sportowy): Jak działa kasyno online w Polsce