Inside Poland’s Crackdown on Gambling Influencers and Payment Channels

Poland has entered what is shaping up to be its most forceful phase yet in the battle against illegal online gambling, as authorities expand enforcement well beyond traditional tools and into the promotional and financial ecosystems that sustain the grey market.

Marek Plota, managing partner at RM Legal, points to a level of coordination between law enforcement, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Supervision Authority that has not previously been seen in the country’s gambling regulation efforts.

For years, the Polish state relied on measures such as domain blacklists and strict advertising bans embedded in the Gambling Act. While these mechanisms provided a legal foundation, they struggled to keep pace with a fast-moving digital environment in which offshore operators could regenerate websites, URLs and marketing channels more quickly than regulators could respond.

That dynamic has now changed. In recent days, early-morning police raids have targeted influencers accused of actively promoting unlicensed online casinos. This marks the first enforcement action of its kind and scale aimed squarely at the social media layer of the illegal gambling market. The move signals a clear shift in how Poland intends to address illicit online casinos, treating influencer promotion as a central pillar of the grey market rather than a peripheral concern.

By extending enforcement beyond gambling operators and their websites to include marketing channels and financial infrastructure, Polish authorities are aligning their approach with that of several other European jurisdictions. In these markets, the grey gambling economy is increasingly viewed as a systemic issue spanning technology platforms, payment systems, media ecosystems and consumer protection.

Influencer marketing under scrutiny

The growing dependence of unlicensed operators on influencer-driven promotion has been a key factor behind the escalation in enforcement. Offshore casino brands have long combined conventional online advertising — often purchased through foreign networks beyond the reach of Polish regulators — with an expanding wave of influencer marketing on platforms such as Kick, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and similar services.

These two channels operated in tandem, generating a steady and mutually reinforcing flow of traffic to illegal gambling sites. Influencers brought an element that traditional advertising could not replicate: a sense of authenticity and immediacy that resonated strongly with younger audiences and drove high levels of engagement.

This strategy was further strengthened by persistent gaps in enforcement. Domain blocking could be circumvented within minutes through mirror sites and frequently changing URLs. Meanwhile, advertising restrictions proved difficult to enforce when promotional activity took place on global platforms without a formal presence in Poland.

Against this background, the arrests of well-known streamers represent more than a symbolic warning to the gambling sector. They indicate a structural shift in enforcement thinking, with authorities now treating social media promotion as an integral part of the illegal casino infrastructure, deserving the same level of scrutiny and intervention as the operators themselves.

KNF turns up pressure on payments

The financial aspect of the crackdown has intensified just as sharply. The Financial Supervision Authority has moved beyond issuing general guidance and has instead applied direct supervisory pressure through a sector-wide warning to payment service providers.

The notice requires PSPs to immediately verify whether they are processing transactions linked to unlicensed casinos and to halt such activity without delay. This represents a significant change in expectations for the financial sector.

Gambling-related payment flows are now explicitly framed within the scope of anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing obligations. As a result, banks, fintech firms and payment providers are expected to treat these transactions as high-risk financial activity rather than routine commercial processing.

The impact has been swift. Several payment methods, including BLIK, began disappearing from offshore casino platforms shortly after the warning was issued. This disrupted both deposits and withdrawals, effectively severing payment chains that had previously allowed Polish players to move funds to and from illegal gambling sites with minimal friction.

For offshore operators, this development strikes at one of the most vital components of their business model. For regulators, it underscores how financial supervision can function as a powerful tool to undermine the operational viability of unlicensed gambling.

A coordinated regulatory framework

These enforcement actions are underpinned by broader structural reforms within Poland’s regulatory apparatus. The establishment of a dedicated Gambling Regulation Department within the Ministry of Finance, alongside the creation of an Inter-Ministerial Team for Countering the Grey Market, has laid the groundwork for sustained cooperation between tax authorities, customs services, prosecutors, supervisory bodies and digital platforms.

This framework enables more coordinated monitoring of advertising behaviour, promotional trends and suspicious payment activity. Over time, it has evolved into a three-pronged strategy: reducing visibility by targeting influencers and affiliate networks, tightening access through improved domain control and digital oversight, and cutting off transaction routes by pressuring payment institutions to offboard unlicensed operators.

The integrated nature of this strategy reflects a recognition that illegal casinos function as decentralised networks rather than standalone websites. Effective enforcement therefore requires simultaneous pressure across every layer of that network, rather than reliance on static blocking measures alone.

Shifting risks across the ecosystem

As a result of these combined efforts, the risk profile surrounding Poland’s illegal gambling market has changed significantly. Influencers, marketing agencies and affiliate operators who once faced limited exposure must now reassess the legal and financial risks associated with promoting offshore brands. Payment providers are under increased scrutiny, pushing them to strengthen due diligence processes and to assess whether their systems indirectly facilitate gambling transactions through intermediaries.

Offshore operators targeting Polish players can no longer depend on familiar avoidance tactics such as rotating domains or alternative settlement methods. Each layer of their operating model is now subject to regulatory pressure. Whether this will translate into a sustained reduction in grey market activity will depend on the consistency of supervision and the ability of enforcement agencies to adapt as new technical workarounds emerge.

What is already clear is that Poland has moved decisively beyond an enforcement model centred on reactive domain blocking. The emerging strategy treats illegal gambling as a connected ecosystem and applies pressure across all its components at once, representing the most significant shift in Poland’s approach to unlicensed online casinos since the current Gambling Act came into force.

At the same time, industry experts continue to argue that ending Poland’s iGaming monopoly could be necessary to meaningfully reduce the grey market and address the growth of the black market.

By fLEXI tEAM