Gambling Affiliates in Poland: What Partners Are Allowed to Promote

Affiliate marketing drives a large share of online gambling traffic worldwide, and Poland is no exception. But the Polish rules on gambling advertising apply to affiliates in full, and the difference between promoting a licensed bookmaker and an offshore casino is the difference between a business and an offence. Here is how the law applies to partners.

Affiliates are advertisers

Polish law does not treat affiliates as neutral intermediaries. Publishing links, banners, reviews or comparison content that encourages users to play with a gambling operator is advertising and promotion within the meaning of the Gambling Act. That means affiliates are bound by the same restrictions as the operators they promote and can be held liable independently.

Promoting licensed bookmakers

Affiliates may promote operators holding a Polish mutual betting permit, provided the content complies with the advertising rules: no targeting of minors, mandatory risk warnings and age information, no associating betting with success or financial solutions, and compliance with time and placement restrictions where relevant. Licensed operators typically pass these obligations through affiliate agreements and monitor partner content, and non-compliant affiliates are removed from programmes.

Promoting unlicensed operators

Promoting online casinos, poker sites or foreign bookmakers that do not hold a Polish permit is promotion of unlawful gambling. This is a fiscal offence for the individual responsible, punishable by a fine, and the customs and tax administration has increasingly targeted comparison sites, streamers and influencers who direct Polish audiences to offshore operators. Claims that the content is merely informational or aimed at foreign audiences are rarely successful when the site is in Polish and monetised through referral links.

Comparison sites and content

Sites comparing bookmaker odds and bonuses can operate lawfully when they feature only licensed operators and comply with the content rules. Listing offshore operators alongside licensed ones, or publishing guides on how to access blocked sites, exposes the publisher to liability and to inclusion of its domain in the register of prohibited domains.

Building a compliant affiliate programme

Operators should include Polish advertising rules in affiliate agreements, require pre-approval of creative assets, audit partner sites regularly, prohibit promotion in channels aimed at young people and terminate non-compliant partners promptly. Affiliates should verify the licence status of every operator they promote and keep records of compliance checks.

Our compliance team advises affiliates and operators on programme structures, agreements and content compliance in the Polish market.