The Polish government has noticed that its tax revenues on gambling are severely affected through COVID-19, the state monopoly on casinos, demonstrating the exception to the downward trend.
Figures published through Poland’s Ministry of Finance show that the total tax collection of Polish authorized game operators reached just over PLN 450 million (US$121.6 million) in the 3 months ending June 30. This represents a low of almost 21% compared to last year and more than a quarter less than the total of the first quarter of 2020.
State virtual lotteries got the highest percentage of the tax pie with PLN 176 million, 16.7% less than in the first quarter of 2020.Sports won the largest percentage of the moment with PLN 138.6 million, one third less than in the first quarter, as the pandemic forced the suspension. primary sporting events. The Internet tax fell 28% to 124 million PLN, while retail fell 55% to PLN 14.6 million.
Ground casino operations were also heavily affected, with a tax cut of 52% to PLN 44.6 million, while taxes on slot room were halved to PLN 3.7 million. Totalizator Sportowy’s monopoly on state Playtech online casino was the scene of a stark contrast, resulting in a tax of PLN 39.3 million, more than 28% sequentially and more than double the amount generated at the time of the 2019 quarter.
The Polish gambling industry, Graj Legalnie, has estimated that local STS bookmakers have a higher percentage in the legal market in Poland at 50%, almost five issues above expectations at the end of 2019.The winnings would have been at Fortuna’s expense. Entertainment, which dropped seven numbers to 25%, while Forbet advanced by a point to 7%.
The locally regulated Polish online gambling market has never been up to its potential, largely based on two main problems: the 12% punitive tax on sports betting profits and the fact that there is no festival of slot machines and online table games in Totalizator. Total Casino site of Sportowy.
But even Total Casino does not offer poker online, a fact that led local economist S-awomir Mentzen to publicly complain that Polish gambling legislation is “absurd.” Mentzen noted that Ukraine recently passed a law that allows ground and online poker, and expressed frustration that Poland “did not have a rational explanation for why such a restrictive law prohibited other people from this type of entertainment.”
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