Poland plans up to 5 years in prison for “trash streams,” including online casino advertising

Poland is preparing legislation that would make so-called “trash streams” punishable by up to 5 years in prison, and the definition includes advertising online casinos. For high-risk operators and the PSPs behind them, that is the part that matters: a sponsorship or promo that looks like ordinary creator marketing can become a criminal exposure point.

1. The proposal comes from Poland and is reported by Reuters. The headline issue is not just livestream antics; the draft would cover content that includes online casino advertising.
2. The planned penalty is up to 5 years in prison. That moves the problem from platform policy or ad-compliance territory into criminal-law territory, which is a much less forgiving place for affiliates, streamers, and anyone monetising traffic into gambling.
3. For PSPs, acquirers, and bank partners, the operational takeaway is straightforward: if a merchant or affiliate depends on livestream promotion in Poland, this is a direction that needs a fresh risk review, because the marketing channel itself is part of the offence the government is targeting.