Poland Plans Gambling Taxes

July 25, 2008 (InfoPowa) — Comments by Poland's Deputy Minister of Finance Jacek Kapica earlier this year that the best way to handle online gambling is to regulate and tax it appear to be bearing fruit. Reports from Poland this week suggest that the government is actively considering an online and land gambling tax regime that could contribute to the construction of a sports stadium to accommodate the Euro2012 football tournament.
 
Poland's Finance Ministry has proposed legislation that would levy a new tax on all gambling games in the country, [Poland daily newspaper] Gazeta Prawna reports. If the legislation were to pass, a 10 percent tax would take effect beginning next (2009) year and remain in force until 2015, when the situation would be reviewed.
 
According to gambling legislation proposed by the Polish Finance Ministry the new tax would be levied "on each gambling game".
 
Kapica told the newspaper that the 10 percent rate was included in the proposal at the request of the Minister of Sport. It was not anticipated that the extra levy would cause any drop in the popularity of gambling, he said.