Poland is set to implement a significant change in its gambling tax structure, with plans to increase the tax on gambling winnings to 15% starting in January 2026. This adjustment will apply to both land-based and online gambling platforms, covering a wide range of activities including slot machines, card games, and lotteries.

The new tax rate will specifically target winnings that exceed 2,280 zloty, which includes payouts from jackpots and tournament prizes. The Ministry of Finance estimates that this change could generate an additional 500 million zloty annually for the government. This move aligns Poland with a broader trend observed in several European nations, where gambling taxes have been on the rise.

Key Details of the Tax Structure
> Effective Date: January 2026
> New Tax Rate: 15% on winnings over 2,280 zloty
> Types of Gambling Affected: Slot machines, card games, lotteries, and online gambling services

Despite the tax increase, promotional offers such as free spins will remain unchanged, allowing players to engage in risk-free gameplay. This aspect is particularly appealing, as research indicates that nearly half of online gamblers in Poland utilised free spins in the past year.

Impact on Players

The introduction of the 15% tax is expected to have a profound effect on the behaviour of players, particularly those who participate in high-stakes tournaments. Under the current tax regime of 10%, players retain 90% of their winnings. However, with the new tax structure, net winnings will decrease significantly. For instance, a player winning 10,000 zloty will now take home only 8,500 zloty after tax.

Poland’s gambling tax has seen several changes over the years. Since 2018, a uniform tax rate of 10% has been in place, which replaced a previous tiered system that taxed winnings above 1,000 zloty at 12%.

The Polish gambling tax revenue has shown a steady increase, rising from 1.7 billion zloty in 2020 to an estimated 2.3 billion zloty in 2024. With the new tax structure, projections suggest that revenue could exceed 2.8 billion zloty by 2026.