Poland one step closer to legalizing online gambling
Posted by Jessie on 03 May, 2008Deputy Finance Minister Jacek Kapica said recently that the government plans to legalize online gambling by the end of 2008 in order to infuse the economy with some needed tax revenue. The previous conservative Law and Justice government ruled against legalizing online betting a year ago after Ministry of Finance analysts argued that the cost to the state would be too great.
The analysts claimed that any budget revenues from online gambling would be much lower than expected, whereas the cost of regulating the industry would be too high. However, according to Merrill Lynch estimates, gross online gambling revenues could reach $48 (z?.106) billion by 2010, making it an extremely lucrative business.
“We cannot control this process anyway and it is better that the budget at least derives some revenue from it,” Kapica told reporters. Polish press has suggested that Poland’s change of heart was influenced by last year’s European Court of Justice ruling which said that Italy may not use criminal law to ban foreign online gambling companies from attracting Italian players. I know gambling can have an ugly downside for additcted gamblers but as free people you should be allowed to choose what type of entertainment you want to participate in.