The EU Commission has written to Poland for the second time, asking for an explanation as to why they rushed through new gambling laws without following regular protocol.

EU law states that when passing new bills such as this, Member States must notify the Commission in due course, in order to give them the ability to review and make amendments to its content.

After a public scandal involving cabinet ministers and land-based casino operators last year, the Polish government pushed through a highly restrictive gambling bill which bans online gaming in the country.

The purpose of this was to deflect public anger, and to give the impression that the root of the scandal was gambling, which government was cracking down on.

It was a shameful and irresponsibly act, and we're glad to see the EU Commission standing up to it.

The Chamber of Commerce of Polish Producers and Operators of Entertainment Devices are furious with the new laws and have issued a formal complaint.

Their lawyer Vassilis Akritidis said: "It is our strong view that several elements of the new law are not justified under EU Law as they are disproportionately restrictive in the field of gambling, gaming and entertainment devices, including leisure gaming without bets."

He added that: "The best way to deal with this case is to suspend the implementation of the new law and give the time to the Commission to assess its provisions."

The EGBA are equally opposed to the new Polish bill and have been lobbying the Commission intensely to repel it. Their Secretary General, Sigrid Ligne said:

"Without proper consultation, there is no democracy. We fear that the proposals are not based on facts, that is why we are sending an open letter to the Polish Government containing facts and figures about our industry. It is our duty to provide this information."

As we previously stated on this site, the actions of the Polish government in this instance are a disgrace. Cabinet ministers acted in a corrupt fashion, and the governments response was to curtail the freedom of its own citizens. It makes absolutely no sense and is a brazen example of politicians attempting to blame-shift in order to protect themselves.

Rather than holding their hands up and admitting their own misdemeanors, the Polish government accused the online gambling industry of being the problem, even though there is proof provided via studies conducted by the Ministry of Health that there is no problem with gambling addiction in Poland, nor is the industry implicated in criminal activity.

So why are they banning online gambling? It's a good question and is one that the Commission are both compelled to ask and answer.