Central Europe
Polish casino license derbies stimulates revenue tall tales
Poland’s casino license derbies have turned nasty as two competitors accuse each other of making wildly outlandish revenue claims to boost their chances of winning new licenses.
Last week, Polish business news outlet Puls Biznesu reported on the rather fanciful claims made about the revenue potential of certain casino operations by Zbigniew Benbenek’s ZPR group, which operates 28 of the country’s 40 casinos.
Polish law allows for a maximum of 52 casino licenses and new casino licenses must be issued via public tender. The Ministry of Finance judges license applications by a point system predicated on, amongst other criteria, their expected revenue projections.
But only the projections for the first three years of operations are subject to verification, meaning operators can promise the moon without fear of blowback.
In the case of an April 2018 tender for casino licenses in the Lodz region, ZPR’s application estimated that gaming revenue would total PLN38m (US$10.2m) in each of the first three years. But ZPR claims revenue will leap to PLN409m ($110m) in year four, rising to PLN4.6b ($1.24b) in year five and hitting just under PLN23b ($6.2b) in year six.
ZPR has submitted other applications for casino licenses in the Mazovia and Wielkopolska areas, claiming even wilder revenue predictions of PNL61b ($16.4b) and PLN100b ($26.9b), respectively, in the years outside the verification window.
According to official data, Poland’s entire casino market enjoyed turnover of PLN4.82b in 2017, from which the casinos earned revenue of just under PLN745m ($200.6m). The government claimed 50% of this revenue as its own.
ZPR’s revenue claims have been challenged by rival operator Casinos Poland as having no basis in reality. Casinos Poland, which operates six gaming venues, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance arguing that the license derby shouldn’t depend on “the auction of absurdities.”
ZPR president Tomasz Szakiel responded to Casinos Poland’s objections by noting that his company was simply adapting better to the rules of the tender than its rivals. Szakiel also noted that ZPR was merely responding in kind to Casinos Poland’s successful 2017 bid for a casino license in Silesia, which saw Casinos Poland claim that its Bielsko Biala casino would generate revenue of over PLN5b in six years.
Source: CalvinAyre.com
Central Europe
NOVOMATIC builds the Group’s largest photovoltaic system in Lower Austria
NOVOMATIC has underscored its clear commitment to sustainability by installing the Group’s largest photovoltaic system. More than 4,600 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the headquarters in Lower Austria, covering a total area of 20,000 m2 and ceremoniously commissioned in the presence of Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, NOVOMATIC’s Executive Board and the mayor of Gumpoldskirchen, Ferdinand Köck.
The PV system, with a size equivalent to three football pitches, will produce around two million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, thereby enabling the company to meet a substantial portion of this location’s annual energy needs. In addition to being used in the offices and production facilities, this green electricity will also find its way into the company’s dedicated charging stations for its fleet of e-vehicles. It is a similar situation with international subsidiaries in countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania, North Macedonia, Bosnia, Poland, South Africa and Australia, which are already meeting substantial portions of their electricity needs from dedicated PV systems.
State Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, emphasizes “Lower Austria is a pioneer in efforts to develop the use of wind energy and photovoltaics. Half of all the wind power produced in Austria and a quarter of all the country’s photovoltaic electricity already comes from Lower Austria today. We can do this because many companies do their bit to ensure the green and sustainable future of the state’s economic engine, investing in the development of renewable energy sources. Thank you for this investment and the trust placed in the economic hub that is Lower Austria.”
“The completion of the Group’s largest photovoltaic plant is not just a key milestone in the sustainability strategy of NOVOMATIC AG, but it also means we have sent a clear signal of our intentions to foster a strong and efficient energy future. After all, it is only by taking responsibility that business success can be guaranteed in the long term,” says the Executive Board of the NOVOMATIC AG Group.
Installing the new PV system on already built-up areas helps NOVOMATIC to consistently reduce its carbon footprint, and enabling it now to save more than 1,100 tons of CO2 emissions every year, the equivalent of 90,500 trees compensating for CO2. The concept of “Going Green” is firmly anchored in the company’s comprehensive ESG program as Europe’s leading gaming technology group. In addition to its work to expand the use of photovoltaics across the Group, the company is also focusing its attention on monitoring resources and expanding e-mobility, all with a view to permanently cutting international CO2 emissions.
Central Europe
ComeOn Group’s Sportsbook hub in Austria relocates to new office space to facilitate further growth
ComeOn Group announced the relocation of its sportsbook, tech and risk management hub in Graz, Austria, to a new and central office space. The new office marks yet another milestone in ComeOn’s investment to accelerate its proprietary sportsbook platform and deliver a differentiated product proposition to its sportsbook players.
ComeOn’s proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house trading team is a key part of its strategy to grow the sportsbook business according to the company’s growth strategy. The office in Austria marks the central gravity of the platform development and opens up room for the teams to grow further as ComeOn levels up its investment into their sportsbook part of the business.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about our new sportsbook engineering and trading hub in Graz. Sportsbook is a key driver of our growth plans ahead and we are well on track with the strategic goal we have set to double our sportsbook business in the next three years. By investing in technology and our proprietary sportsbook platform we are not only providing our customers with top-notch entertainment experiences but also ensuring that our employees have the tools and environment they need to innovate and excel. Our new office is not just a place to work; it’s a hub for collaboration and growth, allowing us to better serve our customers.”
The new office opened its doors officially at the beginning of October and ComeOn Group remains dedicated to providing creative and modern office spaces across all their locations for its employees to keep on innovating to deliver the most exciting entertainment experiences for their customers.
Central Europe
Wildz becomes the new sponsor of FC Schalke 04
Royal Blue has a new addition: Wildz is joining FC Schalke 04 as an official sponsor with immediate effect. An initial two-year partnership has been agreed upon with Rootz Limited, Wildz’s parent company.
Matthias Tillmann, CEO of FC Schalke 04, looks forward to the collaboration: ‘As in football, Wildz focuses on fair play and the fun of the game. The company works with the world’s leading gaming providers and offers entertaining and responsible gameplay.’
Customers can control their gambling activities and thus prevent gambling addiction problems. Wildz has specialized tools to help players manage their time and spending limits and provides information on professional tools and access to customer service in five languages.
For Schalke fans, Wildz will be visible for the first time at all future home games on the board in the VELTINS-Arena. In addition, the gambling operator will now present the official crowd figures with its logo on the video cube and S04’s social media channels.
Sam Brown, CEO, Wildz: ‘We are extremely excited about partnering with FC Schalke 04, one of Germany’s most historic and iconic football clubs. S04 stands for an intense love for the game shared by its millions of unique and passionate fans. The same passion and intensity is reflected in our own philosophy at Rootz, which is why we see this collaboration as a perfect synergy to reach new heights together.’
As a licensed and regulated gaming operator, Wildz offers its customers a wide range of games on a sophisticated platform. In addition to a dynamic rewards system, the platform impresses with exclusive features, innovative and efficient programming, and impressive graphics and content.
In this way, Wildz has succeeded in establishing itself as a leading online gaming operator and has already won several titles, such as ‘Mobile Operator of the Year’ (2024). Like the best entertainment, data protection and complete privacy are top priorities at Wildz.
Rootz Limited operates its services with a license from the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states. This license was granted throughout Germany in September 2022 for virtual machine gaming in accordance with sections 4 to 4d in conjunction with 22a GlüStV 2021.
-
Asia6 days ago
NODWIN Gaming partners with Japanese gaming company KONAMI for ‘eFootball Diwali Showdown’
-
Australia7 days ago
Australia’s BetStop Receives International Regulatory Award
-
Latest News7 days ago
BETBY WELCOMES MAGNUS CARLSEN AS GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
KSA Imposes a Fine of €675,000 on NetX Betting Limited
-
Asia6 days ago
Revenant Esports and Team XSpark Join Forces to Form Revenant XSpark, ScoutOP Revealed as Brand Ambassador
-
Central Europe6 days ago
NOVOMATIC builds the Group’s largest photovoltaic system in Lower Austria
-
Latest News6 days ago
Videoslots Launches DBET in Sweden with International Tipset Pools
-
Gaming7 days ago
The mobile gaming market is growing and attracting new companies. GAMIVO is the latest example