AML | In Principle

The Central Register of Beneficial Owners went into operation in Poland at the end of 2019. Since then, obligated entities defined in Art. 58 of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Act have had to verify whether there is an individual in their structure who can be considered an ultimate beneficial owner, and report this information to the Central Register of Beneficial Owners.

Recent amendments to the AML/CFT Act regarding obligated institutions and reporting of beneficial ownership information to the Central Register of Beneficial Owners have expanded the catalogue of obligated institutions and introduced specific requirements they have to meet.

On 25 February 2021, the Polish Parliament adopted amendments to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act of 1 March 2018. They concern both obligated institutions and reporting of information on beneficial owners to the Central Register of Beneficial Owners. Below we present some of the changes that will have a significant impact on the performance of duties by obligated institutions and entities required to make notifications to the register.

What could video games have in common with money laundering and terrorism financing? Not much, it might seem at first glance. The duties in the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act are mainly addressed to entities involved in financial services, such as banks and payment institutions. The AML/CTF regulations don’t directly refer to video games or persons involved in their development and operation.

Controversies surrounding application of money-laundering regulations generate legal uncertainty for businesses operating in the field of digital currencies.