New bookmakers in Poland 2026: licensed operators
The Polish online betting market is closed and regulated: only the Minister of Finance issues permits to accept bets from Polish players, and the list of authorised entities is public and can be checked in the register at gov.pl/web/finanse/legalny-hazard. That does not mean the market stands still. In 2026 another operator, eToto, joined the 17 bookmakers in our ranking, and every new participant in this closed market goes through the same public verification path as the leaders of the table. We explain what that really means, how to check a new bookmaker yourself, and why a shorter operating history is a risk factor, not a selling point.
What “new bookmaker” really means in the Polish regulated market
In open markets a “new bookmaker” usually means a new brand that appeared online a week ago. In Poland it is something different: a “new” operator is a bookmaker that has relatively recently obtained, or renewed, a Minister of Finance permit to run online betting, regardless of how long its brand has existed globally. The fact that a company has been known abroad for years means nothing to a Polish player if it does not have a separate Polish MF decision: it must obtain one from scratch, like any other applicant. That is why, among the 17 legal bookmakers on the list, you will find both operators that have been on the Polish market for a long time and operators whose local licence may be much younger than their brand abroad.
Among the licensed operators described in our ranking of legal bookmakers, eToto joined the full list in June 2026; the newest additions to our reviews are now Traf and Betsport (August 2026).
eToto: an operator added to our ranking in June 2026
eToto is a bookmaker run by E-TOTO Zakłady Bukmacherskie Sp. z o.o., a company that appears in the Ministry of Finance register of legal entities offering betting (read on 31.10.2026), operating on the basis of a permit from the Minister of Finance. It was in June 2026 that eToto entered our full ranking, alongside bookmakers assessed for longer. That is an important distinction: eToto’s “novelty” on this list refers to its place in our review and ranking cycle, not to the age of the company itself.
What eToto offers and what to check
The key question about any operator is how deep its offer is in the sports you follow. For speedway, see our page on speedway betting and check on the operator’s site which competitions and markets it covers (for example match winner, points handicaps, rider statistics). Do the same for Ekstraklasa and Polish football, popular foreign leagues, volleyball, basketball, tennis and combat sports. In the cashier, check the payment methods, for example BLIK (in Polish), fast transfers and cards, as well as the withdrawal rules and times. Also check whether a mobile app (Android and iOS) is offered and whether the responsive version of the site supports live betting.
Why a newly added operator needs extra care
In our ranking eToto has an overall score of 7.5/10, which is the overall editorial score and updates together with the operator’s review. A newly added operator is a normal reason for caution: the full editorial assessment cycle in our methodology for rating bookmakers covers several criteria, and each needs its own time to verify, especially the quality and real response time of customer support, which cannot be assessed reliably without longer observation. You will find the full licence data, including the permit number and the legal entity of eToto, in our summary of bookmakers’ licence data (in Polish), and a detailed description of the offer in the full eToto review.
It is also worth knowing that online betting permits in Poland are granted for 6 years and can be extended once, for another 6 years (Art. 49 sec. 2 and 5 of the Gambling Act); this applies to each of the 17 operators in our ranking. That is a good reason to always check the validity of the licence yourself in the register at gov.pl/web/finanse/legalny-hazard before registering, instead of relying only on the number shown in the site footer.
How the Ministry of Finance verifies a new licensed bookmaker
A permit to run online betting is not a formality to tick off. Running online betting requires a permit from the Minister of Finance (Art. 6 sec. 3 of the Gambling Act). Only a positive MF decision allows bets to be accepted legally from Polish players, and only on the internet domains named in that permit. Each of the 17 operators on our list, including the newest, Traf and Betsport, has gone through exactly the same path: there is no “special treatment” for new entities.
A licensed operator, however long it has been operating in Poland, also has the same ongoing obligations: verifying the age and identity of players (KYC; identity: Art. 34 sec. 1 pt 1 and Art. 39 sec. 1 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Journal of Laws 2025, item 644), responsible-gambling terms with mechanisms for controlling the player’s activity (Art. 15i sec. 1 pt 4 of the Gambling Act), and paying gaming tax (Art. 71 sec. 1, Art. 73 sec. 1 pt 4 and Art. 74 pt 7 of the Gambling Act). The difference between a new and an established bookmaker therefore does not lie in the legal basis of these obligations (they follow from the same provisions) but in how much time the operator has had to prove that it actually respects them in practice.
What to check before opening an account with a new bookmaker
The checklist is essentially identical whatever the operator’s track record, but with a new bookmaker it is worth going through it especially carefully, simply because you have fewer opinions from other players and less of our own historical data to rely on.
| What to check | Why it matters especially with a new operator |
|---|---|
| MF permit number in the footer or terms | The basic condition of legality: without it the operator is operating illegally, regardless of the age of the brand |
| Verification in the register at gov.pl/web/finanse/legalny-hazard | Confirms that the MF decision is current, and has not expired or been withdrawn |
| Polish payment methods: BLIK, domestic transfers | Local, regulated methods are a sign that the operator is geared to the Polish market, not only to cards or foreign transfers |
| Terms and support in Polish | Important for a Polish player: support and terms in Polish decide whether you understand what you are agreeing to |
| Responsible-gambling tools: limits, self-exclusion | The responsible-gambling terms of an operator with a permit must provide mechanisms for controlling the player’s activity (Art. 15i sec. 1 pt 4 of the Gambling Act) |
| Real, not just declared, withdrawal time | A new operator has a shorter withdrawal history: it is worth starting with a small test amount |
If any of these elements raises doubts, before you open an account compare the operator with the full list in our article on legal bookmakers in Poland: it is the quickest way to make sure the name and the permit number match.
It is also worth setting your own deposit limits or playing-time limits right away, before the first deposit: a tool whose mechanisms must be provided for in the responsible-gambling terms of an operator with a permit (Art. 15i sec. 1 pt 4 of the Gambling Act, Journal of Laws 2025, item 595). You will find more about how to use them and where to look for help if gambling stops being entertainment on our page on responsible gambling.
A short market history is a risk factor, not an asset
New operators’ marketing likes to present a short track record as something exciting, a “fresh perspective”, a “modern platform built from scratch”. From the player’s perspective, however, it is above all less data on which to base a decision, not added value. A long history means a track record of processed withdrawals, a customer-service infrastructure tested in practice (not only in the terms) and real evidence of how an operator behaves under load during big sporting events. A new operator, even one that is fully legal and reliable, by definition does not yet have such a history.
That does not mean a new bookmaker is worse: it means it is worth approaching with extra caution until it has built its own history. The practical conclusions are simple: start with a small deposit before you trust the platform with a larger amount; test the withdrawal process on a small sum instead of waiting for the first big win to find out how long it really takes; and do not treat a shorter history as an argument for higher risk, and certainly not for a higher reward, because an MF licence does not differentiate the security of funds according to the operator’s track record. Other things worth watching with a new operator are a possibly narrower offer of bets than at established operators (new bookmakers build their catalogue of markets and disciplines gradually, so they may offer less at the start) and fewer independent player opinions online, which makes it harder to verify the quality of customer service beyond our own assessment.
New versus established bookmakers
At the top of our ranking are STS, Superbet and Fortuna. You will find the full, current overview of all 17 operators, including the one that wins in a particular category (bonus, app, odds), in our guide to which bookmaker is the best in 2026. Newer operators may not try to compete in the same field as the top of the ranking; their value may lie in a narrower specialisation, which can be real value for a particular type of fan. Check the offer yourself, even if the overall score is lower than at the top.
It is also worth remembering that the MF licence and the basic responsible-gambling tools are the same legal requirement for a new and an established operator; the difference lies solely in history, breadth of offer and the number of opinions gathered, not in the level of legal security.
Avoid offshore operators posing as “new”
Growing interest in new bookmakers also attracts sites that have nothing to do with the Polish MF register: foreign platforms without a licence that actively advertise to Polish players, often tempting them with higher odds or bonuses with no restrictions of the kind a legal operator could not offer. Playing at such a site is illegal in Poland: the operator is not subject to Polish supervision, nothing guarantees that it will protect your funds or verify your age, and in the event of a dispute you have no real way of pursuing claims before a Polish authority. How exactly to tell a legal bookmaker from an illegal one, step by step, is described in our article on legal or illegal bookmakers. The rule is always the same, however “new” and attractive the offer looks: check the permit number in the register at gov.pl/web/finanse/legalny-hazard before you open an account.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether a new bookmaker is legal in Poland?
Go to gov.pl/web/finanse/legalny-hazard and check whether the operator appears on the list of entities authorised by the Minister of Finance. It is the only binding way to verify. You will also find a ready list of the 17 verified operators in our ranking of legal bookmakers.
Who is currently the newest legal bookmaker in Poland?
The newest additions to our reviews are now Traf and Betsport (August 2026). Earlier, in June 2026, eToto joined our full ranking. The full licence data of all operators are public in our summary of licence data.
Is a new bookmaker with an MF licence safe?
From the legal point of view, yes. An MF permit is a condition of legally accepting bets from Polish players (Art. 6 sec. 3 of the Gambling Act), also for a new operator. A new operator is not worse by definition, but it has a shorter history of withdrawals and customer service, which is worth verifying yourself before you deposit a larger amount.
Is it worth registering with a new bookmaker, or is it better to choose a proven leader?
It depends on your priority. If you are looking for maximum security based on a long track record, look at operators with a longer history in Poland and check that record yourself. If you are interested in a specific niche, such as speedway, check which operators cover it; a new operator can be a sound choice, as long as you start with a cautious test rather than a large deposit straight away.
What is the difference between a “new licence” and a “new brand”?
These are two different things that are easy to confuse. A brand may have operated abroad for decades, but until it obtains a separate Polish decision of the Minister of Finance, it cannot legally accept bets from Polish players. The year a company was founded and the date of its first MF permit are often completely different numbers: we give both separately in our summary of licence data, where we know them.
Does a shorter time on the market mean a new bookmaker’s offer is worse?
Not necessarily worse, but it may be narrower: new operators build their catalogue of disciplines, markets and app features gradually, so at the start they may fall behind the leaders in the number of bets available or the depth of the live offer. That is a normal stage of development, not a warning sign, as long as the MF licence is confirmed.