Central Europe
Contrasting trends in 2017 Czech gaming market figures
The 2017 Czech market figures were published last week, revealing some contrasting trends.
It was surprising to an overall minimal revenue gain in the gaming market, despite the strong rise in online gambling revenue of over 50 per cent.
Czech Ministry of Finance figures for 2017 indicated total revenues of CZK39.8b (US$1.77b), a gain of 1.1 per cent from 2016 in the face of overall spending on gambling rising 14.1 per cent to CZK224b.
The gains in online gaming nonetheless did not translate to overall gains for the Czech Republic, which began allowing and regulating iGaming in the country with the revision of the country’s gambling act in 2016.
The Online Contribution
The fact is online gambling jumped 56 per cent year-on-year to CZK8.3b ($370m), responsible for a contribution of more than one-fifth of the overall gaming market in the Czech Republic.
The vertical contributing most heavily was fixed-odds sports betting, which saw a total rise in 217 of nearly CZK1b to reach just short of CZK6.2b.
The next largest contributor on the pole for 2017 was online casino, which brought in just over CZK2b to the Czech market, with live casino third at a CZK120m contribution.
Online lotteries brought in CZK276m, compared to a decline in the contribution of land-based lotteries down CZK500m to CZK6.1b.
Conflicting Disincentive
The relative lack of gains from the overall sector may have to do in large part to some changes made in the Czech market structure that took effect January 1st of 2017. The updates imposed stiff taxes on foreign licensees, resulting in many operator withdrawals who were discouraged by new individual vertical taxes of 23 per cent on sports betting, and 35 per cent for slots, compounded by a 19 per cent corporate tax and further new restrictions on online bonus offers.
Outlook
The Czech government is claiming a healthy purge of up to 90 per cent of illegal operators, but if they want to keep this purge from claiming more legitimate licenced operators on the ledger, they will have to find a way to ease restrictions on foreign operators to add more revenues and streams to the overall till. Let’s hope the operators that began trickling back at the end of 2017 have found more hospitable conditions in 2018.
Source: onlinecasinoreports.com
Central Europe
Evoplay enters Czech market with exclusive Fortuna collaboration
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has made its debut in the Czech Republic through an exclusive collaboration with leading operator Fortuna.
As part of the agreement, 39 of Evoplay’s top-performing games, including popular titles like Penalty Shoot-out and The Greatest Catch, are now available to Fortuna customers in the Central European country.
The collaboration not only introduces Evoplay’s diverse portfolio to the Czech market but also solidifies the company’s commitment to expanding in key territories.
Fortuna, a Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG) brand, is a prominent online casino operator in the Czech market, and the partnership offers Evoplay a solid platform to reach more local players, supporting both companies’ growth objectives.
The strategic move marks a significant milestone for Evoplay, as it becomes the studio’s inaugural partnership in the market with plans for further expansion.
Ihor Zarechnyi, CBDO at Evoplay, said: “Breaking into the Czech market with an exclusive partner like Fortuna underscores our strategic vision for regulated markets. We’re thrilled to bring our diverse content offering to Czech players and are confident this collaboration will yield outstanding results.”
Myke Foster, Group Head of Commercial Gaming Operations at FEG, said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering best-in-class entertainment and exceptional gaming experiences to all FEG customers, with Evoplay providing a broad content portfolio proven with players around the globe.”
“We are thrilled to be the first operator to take Evoplay’s titles live in the Czech market, and we anticipate a new level of engagement among our local audience.”
Central Europe
Amusnet Partners with Kajot Intacto
Amusnet proudly announces its strategic partnership with Kajot Intacto, a prominent Central and Eastern European gaming market operator. This collaboration aims to enhance players’ gaming experience by combining Amusnet’s cutting-edge offerings and diverse game portfolio with Kajot Intacto’s established market presence and expertise.
“At Amusnet, our focus is on enhancing player engagement and satisfaction, and our partnership with Kajot Intacto exemplifies this dedication. By utilizing the operator’s established market presence, we can effectively introduce our diverse portfolio of games to a wider audience in Slovakia. As we begin this collaborative journey, we are committed to evolving our offerings and remaining at the forefront of market trends, ensuring we meet the needs of players now and into the future,” said Irina Rusimova, Chief Commercial Officer at Amusnet.
“We are pleased to announce the addition of Amusnet as a valued game provider for our players. Renowned for its classic games enhanced with innovative features, Amusnet aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering quality gaming experiences. Notably, the most popular game at Kajot Intacto is 100 Burning Hot, which exemplifies Amusnet’s signature style and underscores our dedication to offering engaging content to our player base,” said André Kruf, Sales Director at Kajot Intacto.
On Kajot Intacto’s platform, Slovak players can find some of Amusnet’s top-performing games, such as Hot Deco, 20 Golden Coins, Great 27, 100 Power Hot, Extra Crown, 100 Super Hot, 100 Burning Hot, Aztec Forest, Fruits & Gold, 20 Hot Blast and other top-notch titles like Secrets of Sherwood, Candy Palace, and Drops of Water.
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.
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