Poles are high rollers

This year, the paper said, Poles will spend a total of zł.17 billion - more than twice what they spent in 2006 and more than all the casinos in Las Vegas combined earn annually.

The paper speculates that if the trend continues, the value of the country's gambling market will equal that of its telecommunications market by 2009. The paper cited unpublished data from the Ministry of Finance.

In 2007, Poles spent zł.12 billion on gambling - some 47.5 percent more than in 2006. This year, growth is over 40 percent, meaning the market will grow by more than zł.5 billion to reach zł.17 billion.

According to the daily, slot machines are the most popular form of gambling among Poles. Such machines can be found in almost 18,000 pubs, bars and gas stations around the country. Approximately 35,000 slot machines exist in Poland and that number is growing.