A growing number of Polish-facing online gambling operators are racing for the border ahead of new regulatory restrictions that take effect on April 1.

Last December, Poland’s legislature approved the amended Polish Gambling Act, which imposes new domain- and payment-blocking measures on online operators who lack a Polish gaming license. The Act has been referred to the European Commission and the mandatory standstill period expires on March 31.

A number of online gambling operators have since announced that they would quit the Polish market rather than apply for a new Polish license. In February, Pinnacle said it would bid Poland adieu as of April 1, while this week saw Malta-licensed EnergyBet announce its exit from Poland’s “highly restrictive and hostile regulatory environment.”

EnergyBet’s ‘Dear Jan’ letter was followed by news that UK operators Bet365 and William Hill had informed their Polish players to withdraw their funds ahead of the April 1 cutoff, while the companies’ affiliate marketing partners were instructed to remove all banner ads and text links related to their Polish operations.