STS, the premier bookmaker group in Poland, is focusing on further business development in Poland, in spite of the several proposed challenges. STS has categorically ruled out any plans for listing on the stock exchange.

STS currently holds 49 per cent of Poland’s bookmaker’s market in Poland.

“We want to focus on business development in Poland. After the statutory changes, the market is growing all the time. We realise that we will not reach 70 per cent market share, there is an influx of new companies, competition is increasing and the challenge may be to maintain such a high market share. I would be happy if we had 43–45 per cent in five years.” – CEO Mateusz Juroszek told PAP Business.

The President pointed out, quoting the estimates of the “Graj Legalnie”(Play Legally – ed.) Association, that the turnover value of legal bookmaking activities in 2018 should generate about PLN 5 billion. Thus, STS – according to estimates – should make a turnover at the level of approx. PLN 2.5 billion in 2018. In 2017, the STS turnover reached PLN 1.6 billion.

“Analyzing the Italian market, it can be seen that the average Italian spends on one bet five times more than the Pole. The Polish bookmaking market is much younger, Polish society is getting rich, and it has more and more money for betting. Currently, the average amount per bet is PLN 25, and recently it was PLN 19. This should allow us to grow and increase revenues – said president Juroszek – as STS we want to grow faster than the industry in Poland, above all at the expense of illegal competition, which has about 40 per cent of the market” – he added.

The President of STS informed in April that the company has no plans to enter the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which had been mentioned earlier. He also pointed out that the company could make its debut on the London or Stockholm stock exchanges in the future.

 “A few years ago, we said that we would like to go public. Then the company, the stock exchange and the market were in a different situation. We do not need capital, we do not intend to sell the company. Therefore, the stock market debut today is not an interesting topic for us and we do not have any discussions in this matter” – said Mateusz Juroszek.

Source: E-PLAYOnline

The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled in favour of an amendment, which will pave the way for setting up licensed casinos in the state. Specifically, the court upheld Issue 4, the amendment for allowing four casino licenses in the state.

Nate Steel, counsel for Driving Arkansas Forward that lobbies for casino licenses, said that the Supreme Court ruling clears the path for Arkansas voters to add almost US$6 million to the state’s economy and create 6,000 new jobs.

 “We are grateful the Supreme Court upheld the Attorney General’s certification that Issue 4 is clear and understandable to voters. We are confident Arkansas will vote to keep casino entertainment dollars in our state when they cast their ballots on Nov. 6,” said Steel.

The legal challenges were filed in September against the ballot and Chief Justice Dan Kemp, who was in charge of the challenges and later recused from the cases. The lawsuits were trying to get the proposal disqualified from the ballot, even after a major lobbying campaign that managed to get the question on the November election.

GambleAware, a leading charity working to promote responsible gambling, has promised funds to a software called Gamban, that will block gambling websites and apps.

The charity said the funding is as part of its treatment offering to people suffering with problem gambling.

Gamban software will acts as a firewall in the access to both licensed and illegal gambling sites. This way, users can easily exclude themselves from betting and gaming online or via apps.

GambleAware said it will provide funding to the software so that it can continue to be available for free to use and encourage more people to use it.

Marc Etches, chief executive of GambleAware said: “Blocking software can be an effective tool to help those at-risk of getting into difficulties resist the ubiquitous gambling adverts and special offers that surround us these days.

“This report reinforces the point that such tools work best as part of a treatment package tailored to the individual rather than being effective in isolation. This evaluation gives us the confidence we needed to fund the use of this software for anyone who is referred to our treatment services.”

The move comes ahead of this year’s Responsible Gambling Week, which will run from November 1–7. Aspers, Mecca, William Hill and Cashino are among the top brands to have pledged their support to the initiative.

GambleAware has also urged parents and families to teach young people about the risks associated gambling.

Source: iGamingBusiness