Lawmakers in Poland have introduced a draft amendment to the Criminal Code aimed at curbing the online promotion of illegal gambling and harmful digital content. The proposal targets so-called “pathostreamers” and influencers who promote unauthorised casinos or stream prohibited acts online. If adopted, the legislation would introduce prison sentences ranging from three months to five years.
Poland Approves New Criminal Code to Target Illegal Online Content: Quick Overview
- Polish lawmakers have introduced a draft amendment to the Criminal Code aimed at curbing illegal online gambling promotions and harmful digital content. It targets influencers and “pathostreamers” who promote unregulated casinos or stream prohibited acts.
- If adopted, the legislation would introduce prison sentences ranging from three months to five years. The bill includes a new article to criminalise the public dissemination of real or staged content depicting prohibited acts online.
- The legislators say the measures aim to protect young audiences from deceptive gambling promotions that promote risky behaviour. Analysts have welcomed stronger enforcement but warned the draft could raise concerns about proportionality and impact legitimate online gambling advertisements.
Amendments Focus on Influencers and Gambling Promotions
Poland’s Civic Coalition party submitted a draft bill to the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, on Friday, January 29, proposing amendments to the 1977 Criminal Code. It recommends criminal penalties for the “public dissemination of images or sounds showing the commission of a prohibited act”, including simulated acts presented as real.
The latest development marks a consistent trend in Poland to regulate the gambling sector. In August, lawmakers increased taxes on gambling winnings to 15%, aiming to dissuade frequent betting and foster responsible gaming among operators. The measure follows a recent rise in online gambling across the EU.
Under the recent proposal, offences would carry prison terms ranging from three months to five years. Monika Rosa, the deputy chairwoman of the Civic Coalition and head of the Sejm Committee for Children and Youth, is leading the initiative.
Rosa stated that existing tools for moderating online content are insufficient to address the scale of the problem and that there are practical difficulties in blocking and reporting harmful content to online platforms.
Rosa said:
What is punished in the real world cannot go unpunished in the digital world. Currently, there are difficulties with blocking such content, reporting it to digital platforms, so we must have a clear path of punishing people who produce such pathostreams.
The amendment introduces a new article to the Criminal Code to address these gaps. It also covers influencers who promote illegal online gambling, which remains heavily restricted under Poland’s state-controlled gambling regime. The same penalty range would apply to both categories of offences.
Consumer Protection at the Heart of Recent Amendments
Lawmakers have emphasised the impact of gambling content on minors and young people. Rosa explained that many influencers profit from gambling promotions despite the activity being banned in Poland.
She observed:
It is illegal in Poland. These people pretend that they have won some super lotteries, that you can win money in online casinos, which should not function in Poland, because there is a state monopoly on gambling. In this way, they deceive young people, encouraging them to engage in risky behaviour, which later turns into an addiction.
Lawmakers plan to consult with legal experts and social organisations before finalising the bill. Rosa confirmed that discussions will focus on clarifying the rules and applying penalties as broadly as possible.
She continued:
We will talk about how best to clarify these regulations, how to penalise pathostreaming as widely as possible.
Assessing the situation, Dr Justyna Grusza-Głębicka, a legal expert in gambling regulations, said the draft represents a major expansion of criminal liability into the online content sphere.
She explained:
The proposed new Article 255b would criminalise the public dissemination of audiovisual content that depicts, praises or simulates the commission of criminal offences — including fiscal offences related to illegal gambling via online platforms and streaming services.
Dr Grusza-Głębicka added that this shift raises questions about proportionality and legal certainty. She also warned of possible unintended effects.
Dr Grusza-Głębicka added:
If adopted in its current form, the draft may have a chilling effect on legitimate content creators and could blur the line between illegal gambling promotion and the marketing activities of lawful, licensed operators, especially in a digital and cross-border context.
The proposed amendment forms part of a broader focus in Poland on strengthening youth protections in digital spaces. Parliamentary committees are now set to examine how criminal law can be used to address harmful online environments. The outcome of the review will determine whether the draft becomes a key tool in Poland’s efforts to align digital conduct with crimes already punished offline.