Slot machines

Slot machines-the most important questions and answers

Slot machines-legal situation in Poland

Slot machines, i.e. the so-called one-armed bandit, is one of the Gambling Games held on special machines, but these games can also be arranged online (the rules here are analogous to traditional slot games). All issues related to them are regulated by the Gambling Act, the amendment of which dated December 15, 2020 changed a lot in the rules for organizing such games. Are all slot machines currently legal in Poland and are online slot machines legal? How do free slot machines work? Current information on this subject can be found below.

Slot machines-legal or not?

To tell the truth, the revolutionary changes that have taken place as a result of the implementation of the amendment to the Gambling Act on April 1, 2021, have left many people in consternation. Among the players began to circulate conflicting information, it was even feared that the one-armed bandit became completely banned. Therefore, to begin with, let's give the most important facts: slot machines can be found in licensed land - based casinos a list of which can be found on the website of the Ministry of Finance. So if only a given casino game is included in this list, you can safely use slot machines in it. However, legal slot machines are not only found in traditional gaming casinos. Other options include legal online casino and special game salons . Let's take a closer look at these two possibilities.

Online slot machines

According to the provisions of the amended Gambling Act, the state has a monopoly on the establishment of an online casino in Poland. The entity designated to operate the online casino is the state Treasury company, namely Totalizator Sportowy. So only this online casino has the right to legally offer online slot machines . Can anyone who goes to this casino's website participate in the gambling games available there? No, the law clearly states that slot machines and other gambling they can only be made available to adults, i.e. those who they are now 18 years old. . Therefore, in order to be able to play on the online casino website, you must first make registration of an individual player account providing the required personal data. Moreover, it will not do without sending a scan of the ID card, on the basis of which the casino organizer will finally verify the age and identity of the user. If there is no doubt, the account is activated and online slot machines and other gambling games are made available to the player.

The need to register discourages some internet users, especially since it is not difficult to find other online slot machines, to play on which it is not necessary to send documents or provide so much data. However, please note – all these sites are illegal, and participation in games organized by other online casinos than those run by Totalizator Sportowy is very risky. If a player is caught, for example, knowingly using illegal slot machines online, it may be imposed high fine . Its amount is determined individually by the court, and the maximum penalty is 120 daily rates in accordance with the tax code. If the highest possible fine were imposed, the player would have to pay more than $3.5 million in 2023! In addition, in case of a win, the player may receive a penalty equal to the amount of the win and this regardless of whether he was aware that the online slot machines on which he plays are illegal. Therefore, a much safer option is fully legal online slot machines organized by the state monopolist.

It is also worth knowing that there are mechanisms by which the parties offering m.in. illegal online slot machines are quickly blocked. Specialized employees of the Customs and Tax Office on an ongoing basis search for services of this type and report them to the "Register of domains used to offer gambling in violation of the law" (the so-called "Register of domains"). register of prohibited domains ). Because internet providers are required by the Gambling Act to block websites within 48 hours since their registration, illegal casinos and online slot machines are rapidly disappearing from the virtual space. In addition payment system providers are obliged to break off cooperation with these sites within 30 days of their appearance in the Register of banned domains, which makes online slot machines on non-licensed sites become much less attractive to players.

What role do they play in all this free slot games ? Is this another illegal gambling, or is it because they are free, the law does not apply to them? Well slot machines for FREE are just the same games as regular online slots, but here playing not for money just for the pleasure of the game. Also, the legal online casino operated by Totalizator Sportowy offers slot machines for free, thanks to which players can try out the possibilities offered by the game over the Internet. Each game has its own demo version and here you can play "from the run", no need to register a player account . Free slot machines therefore do not involve the risk of losing the money allocated for the game, but on the other hand, you can not win even $100 here.

Slot machines and land-based game rooms

Legal slot machines can therefore be found in licensed land-based casinos and in an online casino operated by the state-owned Totalizator Sportowy. But it's not over. The Gambling Act also provides for a third possibility – gaming machines can also be found in the so-called. game showrooms . In this case (just as it is with the online casino) you also have a monopoly on slot machines. and again its implementation was entrusted to Totalizator Sportowy . According to the law, in the slot machine parlor the minimum number of gaming machines is 3, and the maximum is 50. The Salon of this type must be located in a separate place and must have its own rules of operation. When it comes to slot machines, it is also very important to record the number of inhabitants of the district in which the salon is located: for every 1 thousand started. there are 1 vending machine. Gambling parlors cannot be located anywhere – the Minister of Finance in a special regulation determines, for example, at what distance from schools or places of religious worship they can be located. The final decision on the possibility of opening a gaming salon, where slot machines are located, is made by the director of the Chamber of tax administration.

All these provisions are aimed at minimizing the risk of gambling addiction – slot machines are a common cause of addictive, uncontrolled gaming. In order to limit the number of people who become addicted to gambling, the law also imposes on the owner of the game salon the obligation to create and implement the responsible gaming regulations . And so in gaming salons, legal slot machines must contain certain information in a visible place, m.in. about the Prohibition of playing for minors, the risk of participating in gambling or the rules of the game itself. In addition, the rules must also specify how the age of players will be verified and how their registration will be carried out. It is worth emphasizing that there is an obligation to check whether people entering the game salon are over 18 years old. Otherwise, such a person can not only play slot machines, but even enter the game room, and information about this should also be posted before entering the premises. SLOT shops also need to provide solutions that allow players to better control their own gaming, such as setting daily and monthly limits on the amount of money spent on the game and the time spent on the machine. Slot machines with low winnings should also have an automatic lock on further play after the player's funds run out. The regulations must be approved by the Minister of Finance.

Another issue that concerns the functioning of salons offering legal slot machines is the statutory obligation to install an audiovisual system , which is designed to allow control of the progress and organization of games. However, recordings from the system are only made available to selected authorities (m.in. police or Customs) and those players who report complaints.

Slot machines – questions and answers

What is the difference between slot machines, single-handed Bandit, slot machines and low-Win slot machines?

Nothing, they are just other names of a certain group of gambling games. In the environment of players, the term slot or slot games is also often found, which is a loan from the English language. In turn, the name "slot machines with low winnings" is most often used in publicity about the gambling industry.

What is a one-armed bandit, or is the game complicated?

Slot machines are very simple game systems. It does not matter the skills of the players (as is the case, for example, in betting shops), because it is 100% random , which most often involves obtaining 3 identical symbols (e.g. 3 identical fruit symbols). You can also meet more complex slot machines, but they still remain purely random games. The results of the game are always determined by the machine, namely the random number generator.

How are slot machines taxed – legal winnings mean you have to pay tax?

This may come as a surprise, but the answer is: no. . The bet that we allocate for the game on the slot machine is fully used for the game itself. This is different than in the case of betting shops, where bookmakers at the very beginning, they deduct the amount of 12% of the deposited rate, only to later transfer it to the game Tax. What's more, when it comes to slot machines, neither does the tax on winnings. . If a one-armed bandit makes a player get even a big win, he does not have to pay 10% tax on it or declare income in the PIT declaration. For your own safety, you should ask the operator of the game for the appropriate certificate of source of income .

Who faces penalties for illegal gaming machines?

As already mentioned, penalties for the use of slot machines threaten the players themselves, especially if it can be proved that they were aware that the gaming machines in question are in a non-licensed casino or so-called hotspot, or that the online gaming service in question is not legal. However, penalties for illegal gaming machines are also, or rather primarily, imposed on game organizers, owners, tenants and tenants of premises where slot machines are located (100 thousand rubles). $ for each machine).

Are there proven ways to play slot machines?

If you type in a search engine a password such as" ways to play slot machines", you will see a lot of sites with entries, the authors of which convince that they know effective tricks or tricks that ensure winning against a one-armed bandit. Here you will find tips on watching the slot machine, manipulating the bet or even manipulating the slot machine itself. If we go to a casino or a gaming salon, we will probably also meet many players who will praise their "copyright" methods for slot machines. However, you only need to look at the statistics to understand that there are no certain ways to make gaming machines. Of course, the player can be lucky for a while, but in the long run, in general, the top is a one-armed bandit. Why? Slot machines give completely random results, but each the machine has a defined payout ratio (percentage chance of winning). As a rule, it is about 80 or 90% , so statistically players lose about 20 or 10% on the game respectively. And a one-armed bandit in the perspective of days, weeks or months always brings profit to the organizer of gambling.

How are slot machines different from betting shops?

Both slot machines and bookmakers they are included in gambling. This means that by participating in them, the player risks the money wagered in order to get a win. Gambling contains an element of randomness, but the main difference that can be indicated between these games is precisely the degree of this randomness. Slot machines are completely random and the player has no influence on whether he wins or loses. Meanwhile, the outcome of a betting bet largely depends on the ability to type a particular player, his sports knowledge and knowledge of betting topics. Although there are no certain ways to win here (for example, there are no 100% effective betting systems), an experienced typer has a much better chance of winning than a player who tries his luck on a one-handed Bandit.

Is it true that one-armed bandit is one of the most addictive gambling games?

Research shows that a key factor that determines the likelihood of a player becoming addicted to gambling is the time that elapses from the moment of playing to obtaining its result . The shorter it is, the greater the risk that the player will become a compulsive gambler. Slot machines definitely stand out in this regard – from the moment of playing to knowing the result, seconds pass and this encourages falling into a kind of "trans". The player does not have time to make thoughtful decisions, and the incredible variability and randomness shown by the one-armed bandit creates the feeling that a huge win is just around the corner, just one more play is enough... As a counterbalance, let's give an example of betting – here the typer usually has a lot of time to decide on the type of bet, then most often hours, days, sometimes even months pass before he knows the result of the bet. However, it must be remembered that all gambling involves the risk of gambling addiction and this also applies betting sports betting.