Online gambling has been illegal in Poland since new legislation came into force in January this year. There are claims, however, that instead of better regulating the market, the law has simply rigged it in favor of illegal activities.

According to Ales Dobes, CEO of Fortuna zakłady bukmacherskie, the Polish branch of Czech bookmaker Fortuna Entertainment, the changes to the law favored illegal online betting, and these have drawn business away from legal, registered operators.

Illegal online betting now generates up to zł.3 billion in Poland, according to Fortuna’s estimates (although it didn’t offer a comparative, pre-2010 figure), and the potential income lost by the Polish state reaches around zł.150-200 million. The firm is thus hoping to see an amendment enacted to better regulate the online market.

“We expect the government to accelerate work on a draft amendment to the Act entailing the legalization of online betting for legal betting operators registered in Poland,” stated Mr Dobes.

Fortuna, which is scheduled to complete a €81.9 million dual IPO on the Warsaw and Prague stock exchanges this week, wishes to proceed with the introduction of online betting services in Poland as soon as the law is modified.

The firm runs online betting services in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, but operates only through outlets in Poland.

Poland accounted for €29.7 million of the total €191.6 million in bets handled by the group in H1 2010.