Poland has assumed the rotating Council of the European Union presidency, and is now pushing for reforms across several sectors – with gambling one of the areas of focus
Since January 1, 2025, Poland has been the President of the Council of the European Union, allowing the country to set the agenda for the year ahead, and focus the block’s efforts in certain sectors.
Poland Wants Member States to Pich in to Fight Illegal Gambling
One of those sectors is illegal gambling which Poland is paying ever-closer attention to. According to the country, Europe may be losing as much as €7.2 billion in unrealized tax due to black-market operations, making the matter even more urgent.
In order to achieve better results, the Polish delegation argues, member states ought to work together and work on harmonizing their regulation and enforcement practices. Bloomberg has reported exclusively on the Polish proposal, citing a document the media was able to see in December.
Poland proposes a new working group on gambling which will operate under the European Commission and draw from a vast pool of national experts. Organizations such as the European Betting and Gaming Association have long called for such a unified approach to gambling regulation, advising for more cross-border cooperation.
Poland, a market that is rather conservative when it comes to gambling, seems to be the instigator of what could be sweeping changes.
There have already been glimmers of closer cooperation over the past months, with Lichtenstein and Switzerland announcing a data-sharing agreement that will see people banned in Swiss casinos also be banned from casinos in Lichtenstein and vice versa. The measure applies to both land-based and online casinos and signals a call for closer cooperation.
Bloomberg argues that the Polish proposal more information about which may be forthcoming will seek to thicken ties between member states in crucial areas such as AI-powered technologies, and combating illegal websites, including in areas such as gambling and more.
Black-Market Operations Sap Regulated Gambling Market
Black-market operations have been a growing problem across the European Union with places such as Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium still experiencing a high rate of illegal gambling despite robust regulatory frameworks in place.
The proliferation of black-market operations has been a particular pain point in Germany, causing a rift between trade groups and the national regulator, which has said that the high rates of illegal gambling are not accurate.
Observers have accused the regulator of pandering and understating the size of the problem.
