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Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example
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Online gambling continues to thrive in Poland, despite the country’s strict regulatory framework. Virtual casinos and betting platforms still attract players with the promise of easy access and quick winnings. Yet, their operations would not be possible without the involvement of payment institutions that process transactions for entities operating outside the boundaries of the law. Behind the scenes lie not only questions about compliance with Poland’s Gambling Act, but also serious concerns about money laundering and the potential financing of criminal activity.
PSPs Legal Responsibility
The key question remains the legality of actions taken by payment institutions that handle transactions linked to illegal online gambling. Do they, even unintentionally, help such operations thrive? Under Polish law, payment service providers are required to monitor and limit high-risk transactions. In practice, this means that every deposit or withdrawal connected to unlicensed gambling activity should be treated as a red flag. Special attention is also given to transactions made through popular mobile payment systems such as BLIK. While BLIK itself is not a payment institution under Polish law, the banks and financial operators using it are and it is they who bear responsibility for preventing the flow of funds that may support illegal gambling activities.
Clear Legal Framework, Limited Excuses
Polish law leaves little room for speculation here. The register of domains used to offer illegal gambling, the ban on processing payments for unlicensed operators, and the penalties outlined in the Fiscal Penal Code and Criminal Code set clear boundaries of responsibility.
The Anti-Money Laundering Act (AML) and the EU Regulation 2023/1113 require payment institutions to actively monitor transactions, block suspicious transfers, and cut off risky relationships. Guidance issued by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF/UKNF) and the National Risk Assessment, along with its sectoral annex, describes typical abuse schemes and makes it clear that payments directed toward online gambling should be treated as a major warning signal. In practice, this means that financial channels supporting illegal gambling must be identified and shut down before the funds return to players as so-called “winnings.”
And this principle is now being actively enforced. Recently, the Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF) went a step further, issuing a sector-wide warning urging payment service providers to block financial flows to unlicensed operators. In response, Polish payment providers have begun withdrawing support for illegal gambling sites and removing payment options such as BLIK from unlicensed platforms.
The Hardest to Detect: The Intermediary Role
The flow of funds into illegal online gambling can take many forms, depending on the relationships between the parties involved in the transaction. The most difficult to detect, however, is the scenario in which a payment institution acts only as an intermediary within a larger payment chain transferring money between other financial service providers without directly serving the payer or the recipient. Even in such cases, the institution is not exempt from its obligation to continuously monitor and analyse all transactions.
Depending on the type of payment, it should apply different verification methods, all aimed at determining whether executing a transfer on behalf of another provider could, in practice, end up funding entities that organize illegal online gambling. The institution must obtain information from the ordering provider about the recipient, determine whether it is engaged in gambling related activity, and verify its legal status. If red flags arise during the analysis such as missing data in the payment chain, a domain listed in the official register, or the absence of the website from the list of legal operators the transaction should be paused or rejected and properly escalated. This includes raising the risk level, notifying the relevant authorities, or even terminating cooperation. When dealing with correspondent relationships involving other institutions, including those based within the European Union, heightened caution is essential.
Grey Market Fuelled by Inaction
Illegal online gambling would not exist without the support of the payment system. Although the law clearly defines the obligations of financial institutions, in practice it is often these very institutions that knowingly or not enable the flow of money into illegal online gambling. This is why effective identification and blocking of such transactions is crucial, especially within complex payment chains where tracing the connections can be most difficult. Every transfer made in support of illegal online gambling represents not only a legal risk but also real support for the shadow economy that thrives on the lack of vigilance within the financial sector.
This article was supplied by:
Marek is a founder and a head of the legal team at RM Legal Law Firm and Gaming In Poland, jointly providing multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional support for leading international gambling operators in the Polish, European Union, and African markets. His gambling practice includes regulatory support at the pre and post-licensing stage, IT, and taxation services, as well as the unique service of performing a function of a gambling representative. RM Legal is the only law firm in Poland representing offshore companies operating legally in the Polish gambling market. Apart from gambling Marek specializes in corporate commercial law and international investment projects.
The post Payments Under Scrutiny: Polish Example appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas!
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This holiday season, Santa’s traded in his sleigh for a private jet and touched down on the Vegas Strip! Santa in Vegas delivers festive fun and flashy riches in a vibrant 5×4 slot packed with luxurious symbols, glittering lights and that famous Booming Games excitement. Spin through jets, limos, watches and shimmering gifts as you chase down wild wins in the city that never sleeps.
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The post Ho-Ho-Hold onto Your Wins! Booming Games Takes Festive Fun to the Next Level with Santa in Vegas! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, unveiled its 2025 Global Regulatory Awards (GRAs) winners last night during an event in London.
More than 300 industry leaders, regulatory experts, and esteemed professionals of the global gambling industry attended the prestigious event. The independently judged GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility, and safer gambling.
The ninth annual awards ceremony recognised winners across 22 categories.
Notable winners on the evening included Playtech, Casino Guru, and Kambi.
Vixio also recognised outstanding individuals, such as Bill Curtis of DraftKings, named Compliance Professional of the Year, Corinne Valletta of Betsson Group, awarded Chief Compliance Officer of the Year, and Wes Himes, who was recognised with the Special Award for Compliance Lifetime Achievement.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us at last night’s Global Regulatory Awards in London,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “This year has seen significant regulatory change across the industry, making the quality of entries even more impressive. Our independent judges did a fantastic job in selecting the winners, who truly represent the highest standards in regulatory compliance. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to the 10th annual Global Regulatory Awards next year!”
Awards were presented by category sponsors: Docaposte, DraftKings, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates and White Bullet.
The award evening was associate-sponsored by: Greentube, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, Scientific Games, and Soft2Bet.
The 2026 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will celebrate the 10th annual GRA event and is set to take place on November 18th, returning to the historic Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.
The official 2025 winners are as follows:
AML or MLR Professional of the Year
Eleni Panagiotopoulou, SOFTSWISS
Award for Commitment to Compliance by a Supplier
GeoComply
Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Operator
Tipico Games
Chief Compliance Officer of the Year
Corinne Valletta, Betsson Group
Compliance Innovator of the Year
Sharp Vision
Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award
Wes Himes
Compliance Professional of the Year
Bill Curtis, DraftKings
Compliance Rising Star Special Award
Medisha Moodley, Games Global
Compliance Team of the Year
Playtech
Head of Regulatory Affairs or Government Relations of the Year
Devon Dalbock, GLI
Legal Team of the Year
Kambi
Marketing Compliance Team of the Year
Catena Media
Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling
Casino Guru
Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity
ALTENAR
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safer Gambling
Dr. Michael Auer, Neccton
Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
Paysafe
RegTech Provider of the Year
Mindway AI
Regulatory Initiative of the Year
Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH SK)
Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
Bird & Bird
Regulatory Lawyer or In-House Counsel of the Year
Behnam Dayanim, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BetBlocker
Testing Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BMM Innovation Group
The post Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Rapidly expanding content provider puts you in the presence of royalty in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming invites players to wrap up warm and explore an icy kingdom in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. Watch the wins snowball in this Olympus-genre pay-anywhere game.
Divine Queen: Heart of Ice pulls inspiration from the iconic Bonanza gameplay mechanics, repackaging them in a winter retro style. The game’s cinematic visuals, combined with a mesmerising soundtrack, help immerse players in this frosty, beautiful world.
The Ice Queen herself also graces players with her presence. This stunning character stands to the right of the game grid, watching over the reels as they spin. She appears as the game’s Scatter symbol and is the key to the Free Spins bonus.
Her carefully curated design should appeal to European and US audiences, while the game’s winter theme makes it accessible year-round.
Players will find the Multiplier Reel on the right of the grid in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. This starts at x1 and progresses by one with each winning cascade. The multiplier does not reset during the free spins bonus, helping the wins to pile up. Players can also use the Buy Bonus feature to enter the Free Spins round and gain instant access to the action.
The bonus features are not the only magic conjured up in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. The slot serves up a tantalising maximum win of x5,000, and rounds out an impressive maths model with an attractive 97% RTP.
Ruslan Shakhlovich, Game Designer at BGaming, said, The game has been designed to be highly engaging, with progressive mechanics and a proven math model that will keep players returning. Divine Queen: Heart of Ice arrives just in time for the winter months, and we are confident it will do an excellent job of distracting players from the cold.”
The post Feel the Chill in BGaming’s Divine Queen: Heart of Ice appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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