Poland’s Top 8 Online Casinos and How I Chose Them
Poland is a Central European country, member of the EU and the 8th most populous in Europe. Alongside some other USSR ex-occupied countries like The Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia; since 90s Poland is known for its impressive progress in both economy and democratic institutions.
I would like to mention that I was happy to visit Poland twice in 2018. Back then I spent a few days in Rzeszów and Wrocław. I had not visited any casual tourist destinations, our goal (with my wife) was to get acquainted with Polish culture and food (in the end we did so, but mostly with the food). Although it is a topic for a separate huge article, in short, if you are considering to give Poland a visit, do it and you won’t regret.
While visiting Poland we crossed the whole country by a car twice. What caught our eyes basically from the very beginning is that people in Poland are rather religious. Christian symbols are displayed everywhere, especially in rural areas. Maybe this fact has determined Gambling laws in Poland to be rather strict.
It is true that gambling laws in Poland are only strict towards gambling operators (online casinos, sport betting operators), but not private citizens. So to say, it is 100% legal for the Poles to play at online casinos for real money.
Given that there are thousands online casinos on the market that accept players from Poland, it could be quite a challenge to grab a trustworthy one. Here I have done the research and grabbed a Top 8 online casino site in Poland. Let’s jump right into the list, and I will elaborate on my criteria further in the article.
Top online casino sites in Poland
My criteria or how I picked out the best online casinos in Poland
Reputation. This is my foremost parameter so far, and I always start my research at this point, because other parameters don’t matter if an online casino has records of being unfair with players. Regarding online casino rules, in the majority of cases, they could be interpreted in different ways, and the online casino is usually the one who decides. Hence, it is crucial for an online casino player to deal with only reliable gambling operators.
License verification. Every trustworthy online casino must have a license of some gambling jurisdiction. It is true because the best software providers allow only online casinos with gambling license to rent their production. After that, I verify that license is active and legit on the regulator’s website, which has issued the license. Some licenses (UK, Malta, Gibraltar, Alderney) are more strict than others (Curacao). However, in the end, not the license but the casino’s approach to resolving players’ issues matter more.
Security (by that I mean: account security and software validity). At that point, I am trying to understand how personal data at an online casino are being treated (the “red flag” for me would be the email spamming, accusations of selling personal data). Then I establish that software at an online casino is not fake (How to detect fake online slots?).
Responsiveness (customer service). Once a casino has successfully passed the previous three parts, I search through all related threads on gambling forums trying to find out how long it usually takes from the casino to resolve player’s issues. Having a 24/7 live chat is always a huge advantage in my eyes. I have contacts of representatives of all online casinos in my list. Hence, feel free to leave a complaint on my website in case any misunderstanding took place.
Variety of games (variety itself and live games). Nowadays there are thousands online slots and hundreds of other casino games on the market. Given that, no chance for an online casino to be in the rating if it doesn’t have at least 10-15 top software providers presented on its platform. Live games is another inherent part of online gambling nowadays, and it is necessary for each online casino in Top 8 rating to have them as well.
Documents and verification. Every legit online casino has to implement KYC (know your customer) policy, otherwise, it would not have acquired a gambling license. The truth is it can be done very differently. Within a few minutes via a website form or it could take days in less responsible casinos. I am sure, you have already guessed which casinos I have placed here.
Bonuses and promotions. They are being offered to players all the time, at least welcome bonus, but bonuses could sometimes cause more harm than good. Too high wager or very limited number of games in terms of wagering weight could make any bonus absolutely worthless. Each casino in my Top 8 has got a decent welcome package, which will add more entertainment for sure.
Deposit/withdrawal policy. Having multiple deposit and withdrawal options is a big part of the overall user experience. The player is happy only when at least bank cards and the most popular e-wallets are in place. Also, I checked that local currency (PLN in the case with Poland) can be set as a currency for the account. It allows to avoid additional fees which nobody is eager to pay.
Design and user-friendliness. Last but not least comes how the website looks and works in general. I understand that this belongs to the realm of personal preferences. However, I would suggest that nobody likes slow loading or painted in annoying colors websites. Another important part of user-friendliness is to have the Polish language on the casino’s website.
Summing up, I would like to emphasize one more time that all the criteria are relevant (for example, I would not include an online casino in my rating with over-complicated verification procedure even if its other parameters were perfect), but casino’s reputation and its history of dealing with player’s issues matter the most.
Legal aspects of gambling in Poland
Gambling in Poland is regulated by the Law Act on Gambling Games of 19 November 2009.
I would like to distinguish Gambling regulations in Poland. They are very different for players and for gambling operators. For gambling operators Gambling laws in Poland are the nightmare, because a gambling operator must check so many boxes in order to obtain a license. It is predictable that very few of them have ventured to enter Polish gambling market so far.
The same is not true for Polish casino players. Playing at an online casino, even if it hasn’t got a Polish license, is absolutely legal for Polish citizens. Poland can’t enforce its Gambling laws on international online casinos, and these online casinos are happy to accept the Poles with no further questions.
Legal Age is set to be 18 years old. This rule stays the same for any gambling activity: online casino, poker, sports betting, lotteries (some countries could have a different age threshold for different kinds of gambling).
Taxes. For gambling operators, they could be as low as 2.5% and as high as 50%, which depends on gambling activity. For casino players income tax is applied for casino winnings (18-36%, depends on sum). However, if the casino has a Polish gambling license, casino player is exempt from paying income tax. It could encourage you to seek for only online casinos with Polish license, I will tell you that this is not probably a good idea. Such casino would have to pay 50% taxes from slot machines revenue, as a result, it would be able to offer very poor bonuses for its players.
Self-exclusion. The Law Act on Gambling Games doesn’t introduce a centralized service for Polish players with gambling addiction (as for example the UK Gambling Commission does). Though, all casinos from my Top 8 list, as the responsible gambling operators, allow players to block themselves from playing on real money (for the period of time or forever).
The Polish language is available
No wonder that the native language is the most convenient way to communicate for all people. Keeping this in mind, I have included in Top 8 casino sites in Poland online casinos that can boast having the Polish language on their websites.
What about Bonuses for Polish players?
Gambling authorities in Poland are not harsh when it comes to casino bonuses for Polish citizens (for instance: some countries, like Sweden, ban their citizens from being able to get any online casino promotions).
As a result, Polish players are not treated differently regarding online casino bonuses. All bonus packages (welcome and reload) are available in full extent.
Payment methods at online casinos for Polish citizens
During the last 30 years, Poland has become an inherent part of the European economy. With that being said, all popular payment methods on the internet are available for the Poles.
However, not all of them were designed as equal, some of them are much better than the other one. I believe the list of the best payment methods in Poland should look like this:
E-wallets. Skrill, Neteller and Ecopayz are standing out among others. Let me explain why. First thing first, all e-wallet payments are processed by reliable online casinos in a matter of minutes. The other important nuance, that those three companies issue a debit card of their own (like a normal bank), which is tied to your e-wallet account so that you can pay by it anywhere and withdraw cash at ATMs. If you have ordered this card beforehand, then there are very little limits on how you can spend your winnings.
Cryptocurrencies. This method should take the first place if there weren’t one hurdle. Cryptocurrencies are not beginner-friendly in general. They require some understanding of how blockchain technology works in order to use them safely. Except for that moment, they are awesome because the fees are basically non-existent in comparison with other payment methods. As a result, an online casino can offer more generous bonuses for players who deposit at casino with crypto. If you have become interested in this option, I have the whole article describing in details (with images) how to do it with Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin.
Bank cards (debit or credit). They are slow in terms of withdrawal processing time but super widespread. It is hard to meet a person in Poland without one. So to say, even if for some reasons you have decided not to use e-wallets or cryptocurrencies, you won’t be left without an option to deposit.
Prepaid cards. Paysafecard or Neosurf are relatively easy to buy in Poland. Their main advantage that they allow to hide all your personal information while paying for something on the internet (as if payment were done with cash). But it takes some time to buy them at kiosks alongside the fees are applied.
Casino Games offered for players from Poland
Speaking about other (than slots) casino games, they are all available for Polish players. Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Video Poker, Scratch Cards, Bingo, Keno can be easily found at any online casino in my rating.
Those games are produced by many software providers so you can choose which one is more suitable for you in terms of visual appearance.
Are online casinos secure for Polish players?
As I have said before, players from Poland can play at any international online casino, so there is no threat for them to be prosecuted for illegal gambling.
Another part is cybersecurity, and it completely depends on a particular online casino. So it can be done in accordance with the highest standards or very poorly. Be sure that in my list there are only those from the first group.
Live games
Playing in casino games with a live dealer while staying at your apartment is undoubtedly a very cool feature of modern casino software. And Top 8 online casinos in Poland can definitely provides players with this option making gambling experience as exciting as it is at land-based casinos.
Some questions you may ask
Do Polish players need to verify their identity? Any legit online casino has such a rule, otherwise, it would not have acquired a gambling license. But don’t worry, casinos from my rating won’t give you a hard time. Anyway, if you got stuck, feel free to contact a support team, they are very responsive.
Do Polish players need to prove Source of Funds? It could happen (not necessarily, in fact rather rarely) only in case with relatively big winnings (at least 100,000 PLN worth). Nobody likes to annoy customers with legal work without having a good reason to do so.
Where should Polish players complaint if an online casino has done anything wrong? If this casino is listed on my website, you can file a complaint against it on the special section.
Are Polish players eligible to progressive jackpots? Yes, they are. Those jackpots can become millions of euros worth, and Polish players are absolutely welcome to compete with other players in an effort to get them.
Mobile online casinos in Poland
Smartphones have become a huge part of every person’s life because nowadays they are more like PC than just phones. Online casinos, at least the leaders of the industry, have rapidly started to integrate their software with mobile and tablets.
Players from Poland can enjoy online casinos on any devices by simply downloading the casino’s App.
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