BLIK in Poland Blocks Payments to Illegal Gambling Sites Since September 1

Since September 1, the BLIK mobile payment system in Poland blocks transactions directed to unauthorized online gaming operators, both domestically and abroad. Polish Payment Standard (PSP), operator of BLIK, took this measure to cut financial access to betting platforms that, despite being licensed in their home jurisdiction, lack authorization under Polish law.

BLIK Strengthens Controls Against Illegal Gambling According to Polish Regulations

Monika Krol, Vice President of Polish Payment Standard (PSP), explained that BLIK has incorporated an additional mechanism to identify and reject transactions with entities considered illegal in Poland. The system verifies the URL associated with each payment: if the domain appears in the official blacklist of prohibited sites maintained by the Ministry of Finance, the authorization is automatically denied. The regulatory burden continues to fall on payment service providers, but BLIK has chosen to go further through this technological filter in its internal processes.

“Therefore, at BLIK, we have decided to introduce an additional mechanism to block transactions executed by illegal entities according to Polish law, even though the regulation primarily places this responsibility on payment service providers,” stated Monika Krol, Vice President of PSP.

Domain Detection and Cooperation with the Ministry of Finance

The registry maintained by the Ministry of Finance of Poland compiles the domains of unauthorized operators. The integration of this registry into BLIK's processes allows for the stopping of payments toward listed platforms. Thus, any attempt to reload or pay directed to a domain entered in this registry will be instantly rejected by BLIK, effectively blocking new funding sources for illegal gambling.

Market Impact: Decline of the Gray Segment Since 2017

Statistics published by the Ministry of Finance in May 2026 reflect a significant reduction of unregulated gambling. In 2024, illegal operators occupied 29.1% of the Polish online market, down from 58.6% observed in 2017. In absolute values, the market share of gray gambling has reduced by 29.5 percentage points since the enforcement of the recent regulation.

Legal Context: State Monopoly and Exceptions for Sports Betting

Since 2017, the organization of online gambling in Poland has been under a state monopoly. The segment of sports betting and promotional lotteries is exempt from this monopoly, and private operators can offer these products under ministerial license. Foreign or unauthorized platforms, on the other hand, are considered illegal and now see their payment options via BLIK blocked as well.

Considerations for Operators and Payment Providers

The tightening of controls by BLIK adds to the trend of requiring greater collaboration from financial intermediaries in the compliance ecosystem for the payments sector and gambling. For providers operating in Poland, automated domain verification through ministerial listings becomes standard. It also increases pressure on unauthorized operators, restricting their ability to access Polish users through national electronic payments.

The change also reinforces the legal and control framework over the Polish iGaming sector. Any technological adaptation, whether by PSPs or betting platforms, must consider these restrictions to ensure operational continuity and regulatory compliance.