Poland has moved gambling enforcement deeper into the payment system, with BLIK introducing automated checks designed to stop transactions linked to illegal gambling websites.
The mechanism began operating on September 1 and connects Poland’s widely used mobile payment network with the Ministry of Finance register of prohibited gambling domains. Instead of relying only on internet providers to block access to a website, the system can stop a payment before it reaches authorization.
That shift matters because illegal gambling sites can change domains quickly. Payment infrastructure is harder to replace, making financial networks an increasingly important part of digital enforcement.
BLIK Checks Transactions Against a Government Register
BLIK is one of Poland’s most widely used payment methods. In 2025, it processed around 2.9 billion transactions worth more than PLN 441 billion.
Under the new system, a domain associated with a payment can be compared automatically with the government’s register of illegal gambling websites. If the address appears on the list, the transaction is intended to be rejected before authorization.
A September 4 report on BLIK’s new safeguards notes that the register contains more than 55,000 domains and continues to expand as authorities identify new sites.
The measure applies to transactions processed through both domestic and foreign settlement agents, making it more difficult for an unlicensed operator to bypass the restriction simply by routing payments through another country.
Why Blocking Websites Is Not Enough
Traditional enforcement against illegal online gambling often begins with domain blocking. Authorities identify an unauthorized website, add it to a blacklist and require internet providers to restrict access.
The problem is speed. A gambling operator can register a replacement address and redirect users while regulators are still adding the previous one to their systems.
Poland’s approach moves enforcement one layer lower. An analysis of the payment-blocking model explains that BLIK now connects directly to the government register through an application programming interface, allowing checks to take place inside the payment flow.
The system still depends on the accuracy and speed of that register. A domain that has not yet been identified can escape the automated check. Even so, targeting transactions creates another obstacle beyond simply blocking access to a website.
The Payment Layer Sits Behind Every Casino Interface
Players usually experience online gambling through the visible product rather than the infrastructure supporting it. They may open a sportsbook, browse slots or move directly into live dealer blackjack, while deposits and withdrawals happen as a separate part of the journey. Regulators increasingly see that financial layer as one of the most effective control points because every digital gambling product ultimately depends on money moving between a customer and an operator.
That makes payment technology part of gambling compliance rather than merely a convenience feature.
Licensed operators also depend on reliable payment systems, which creates a difficult balance. Filters need to stop prohibited transactions without generating unnecessary declines for legal businesses or unrelated merchants.
Poland Is Not Alone in Targeting Payments
Other regulators are moving in a similar direction. Brazil has already placed greater responsibility on banks and financial technology companies to identify and block financial activity connected with unauthorized betting operators.
The technical model is different. Poland has built the check directly around a government domain list, while Brazil has relied more heavily on obligations imposed on financial institutions.
Both approaches reflect the same conclusion. Restricting access to illegal websites is less effective if users can still move money to them easily.
Payment providers are therefore becoming part of the enforcement architecture, even though they are not gambling regulators themselves.
Technology Changes Who Enforces the Rules
The BLIK rollout illustrates a wider change in digital regulation. Governments once focused primarily on licensing operators and blocking websites. Increasingly, they are asking technology companies, app stores, advertising platforms and payment providers to help enforce those rules.
Automation makes that possible at a scale that manual checks cannot match. A payment network processing billions of transactions cannot investigate every gambling payment individually, but it can compare transaction information against a structured database in real time.
There are still limits. Operators can change domains, payment routes can evolve and automated systems can make mistakes. No single technical control eliminates an illegal market.
What Poland has done is make the payment itself part of the regulatory checkpoint. For an online gambling industry built almost entirely on digital infrastructure, that may prove more consequential than another round of website blocking.
