By the end of the third quarter of 2006, Poland had 20,276 AWP machines in operation, according to official statistics.

The income from the machines totalled PLN472m (US$157m), double the volume of the previous year.

Despite the growing success of the sector, however, there are worries. The country’s department of home affairs - the Administration and Inner Ministry - is studying a police report which suggests that the machines, usually located in bars and bus and train depots, are used for money laundering.

This assertion is based upon the fact that operators do not have to present detailed records of the machines’ performance which makes it impossible to check the source of money played.