BLIK Blocks Payments to Illegal Gambling Sites

BLIK has begun blocking payments connected to gambling websites listed as operating in breach of Polish law. The measure took effect on September 1 and applies to domestic and international transactions.

The payment system checks the domain linked to a transaction before authorization. If it appears in the register maintained by the Minister of Finance, BLIK declines the payment.

Polish Payment Standard (PSP), BLIK's operator, announced the mechanism at the end of July. According to a July announcement by the State Treasury, the President of the National Bank of Poland approved its introduction.

Domain Checks Trigger Payment Blocks

Monika Król, vice president of Polish Payment Standard, said online gambling's cross-border nature means some operators may legally operate where they are registered while remaining prohibited from offering services in Poland.

"Therefore, we have decided to introduce an additional mechanism on the Blik system side to block transactions carried out by entities considered illegal under Polish law, even though the regulations impose obligations in this regard primarily on payment service providers," the Blik representative emphasized.

The Ministry of Finance register provides the basis for identifying payments that should be blocked.

"The system automatically checks the domain associated with the transaction, and if it is listed in the Register, the payment is not authorized. We wanted a solution that would increase user security and the transparency of Blik's operations, while also clearly embedding the rules for handling such transactions in Polish law," the vice president noted.

The register contains more than 55,000 domains providing access to illegal online gambling, with around 700 new domains added each month.

Grey Market Share Has Fallen

Ministry of Finance data published in May showed the estimated share of Poland's online gambling grey market fell from 58.6% in 2017 to 29.1% in 2024.

Most forms of online gambling in Poland have operated under a state monopoly since 2017, although sports betting and promotional lotteries fall outside that framework.

BLIK processed 2.9 billion transactions worth PLN 441.5bn in 2025. In the first half of this year, users completed almost 1.6 billion transactions worth PLN 244.8bn.

Polski Standard Płatności develops the BLIK system, with shareholders including Alior Bank, Bank Millennium, Erste Bank Polska, ING Bank Śląski, mBank, PKO Bank Polski and Mastercard.

Licensed Bookmakers Face Further Checks

The move comes as the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) conducts another round of social responsibility checks involving licensed Polish bookmakers.

The review covers operators including Fortuna, STS, Superbet, Bukmachers, E-toto Bukmachers and LV Bet. Officials will assess websites, mobile applications and customer terms and conditions.

The government has described the checks as routine. UOKiK willuse artificial intelligence to identify potential shortcomings and examine whether operators employ so-called dark patterns through interface design, messaging or incentives that may manipulate consumer behaviour.

Source:

“Safer payments with #BLIK”, linkedin.com “BLIK”, September, 1, 2026