Central Europe

Polish sports betting market sums up 2020: STS named the market leader

Published

3 years ago

February 8, 2021

Polish sports betting market sums up 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

For another year in a row, STS was the largest bookmaking company with a year-over-year increase in shares. Fortuna, the runner-up, was in the decline. The third-best, forBet, is on the rise, as reported by “Stowarzyszenie Graj Legalnie” (Association for the Elimination of Black Economy Betting in Poland ‘Bet legally’). Revenues of licensed operators, as well as the amount of taxes contributed by the sector, would be higher if it were not for companies operating in the grey zone which are estimated by the “Graj Legalnie” association to account for several dozen per cent of the market.

STS is the largest sports betting company in Poland. The company managed by Mateusz Juroszek already controls 45.8 per cent of the licensed part of the sector, compared to its 45.1 per cent at the end of 2019. The sports betting company has also recorded an increase in revenues, from PLN 3.081 bn to PLN 3.319 bn.

According to the estimates of the “Graj Legalnie” association, the second-best, Fortuna, has recorded a decrease in revenues from over PLN 2.1 bn to ca. PLN 2 bn. The company has also lost its market share, from 30.9 per cent to 27.8 per cent. The third one on the podium is forBET (6.6 per cent of the market vs 6 per cent in 2019).

Other legal sports betting businesses in the ranking are Betclic (4.2 per cent of the market vs 1.7 per cent YoY), LV Bet (2.7 per cent vs 3.5 per cent YoY), Betfan (2.6 per cent vs 1.6 per cent YoY), Totolotek (2.3 per cent vs 4.5 per cent YoY), Totallbet (2.2. per cent vs 1.6 per cent YoY) and eToto (2 per cent vs 2.2 per cent YoY). Other players control the remaining 3.7 per cent of the market.

The full list:

Sports betting company	Market share in 2020	Market share in 2019
STS	45.8 %	45,1%
Fortuna	27.8 %	30.9 %
forBet	6.6 %	6%
Betclic*	4.2 %	1.7 %
LV Bet	2.7 %	3.5 %
Betfan*	2.6 %	1.6 %
Totolotek	2.3 %	4.6 %
Totalbet	2.2 %	1.6 %
eToto	2 %	2.2 %
Other	3.7 %	2.9 %

*It should, however, be noted that Betfan and Betclic were not operating from the beginning of 2019, therefore their results are not fully reliable.

COMMENTARY: Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, President of the “Graj Legalnie” association

The year 2020 was very subversive for the sports betting industry. After a promising beginning, the second quarter brought the lockdown of global sport. The most flexible companies with a diversified portfolio and well-developed produce and technology were able to make up for the losses incurred during those months. The best example of this is the market leader – STS. The company, despite a decline in revenues in the second quarter, achieved at the end of 2020 a result better than in the previous 12 months.

The pandemic has also affected its local betting shops, most of which have been closed during the lockdown. After reopening, traffic at many of these locations did not return to pre-pandemic levels, and some customers moved to the online channel. Totolotek did not manage to cope in this difficult situation – it has recently announced the closing of all of its local betting shops. It was the leaders who made it.

Graj Legalnie

The mission of the Graj Legalnie association is to improve the situation of legal sports betting businesses in Poland. Its goal is to protect the sector from illegal and unfair competition. The organisation was founded in 2016 to support operators licensed by the Minister of Finance in their functioning in a complex legal and competitive environment. Challenges facing both the association and the Polish authorities include the grey economy accounting for several dozen per cent of the market and losses incurred by the state budget for unpaid taxes worth several billion zloty.

Moreover, the task of the association is to create a positive image of the sports betting industry, to shape and to disseminate the principles of ethics in business operations and share best practices, as well as information between its membrs. Since its foundation, the association has been focussed on providing reliable information and data concerning the Polish sports betting industry.

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Central Europe

Scientific Games and National Lottery of Slovenia Strengthen Instant Game Partnership

Published

4 days ago

April 30, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Scientific Games and Loterija Slovenije, the national lottery of Slovenia, are moving to strengthen their instant game partnership and position the Lottery for more growth through a new, exclusive five-year contract. The new contract follows 26% growth in Loterija Slovenije’s instant game sales over the past four years. The agreement may be renewed for an additional two years.

2024-SGSocials-Slovenia-1200×1200.png“The move to this new partnership with Scientific Games heralds further progress for our Srečka games portfolio,” said Loterija Slovenije CEO and President Romana Girandon. “The enhanced partnership aligns our goals to responsibly grow these products and ultimately, grow proceeds to our good cause programs.”

Loterija Slovenije’s new partnership closely aligns the strategic interests of both companies using Scientific Games’ world-leading instant game design and portfolio management services, as well as data-driven analytics and insights, game manufacturing, retailer analysis, marketing, sales support and licensed brand services.

Scientific Games began working with Loterija Slovenije six years ago as the Lottery’s primary instant games provider and most recently collaborated on successful higher price point game launches featuring an Advent calendar and a €10 extended play game.

“We’re proud to move to an enhanced partnership with Loterija Slovenija so that we can fully maximize the potential of its Srečka games,” said Kevin Anderson, VP of Global Strategic Accounts for Scientific Games. “Our expertise with data analytics and portfolio management will help drive sales performance for the games and provide entertaining experiences for Slovenian players.”

With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2024 World Lottery Almanac).

Central Europe

Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

George Miller

Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide

With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.

As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.

This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.

Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.

Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.

Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”

Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”

Central Europe

Wazdan amplifies Swiss presence with Swiss4Win launch

Published

2 weeks ago

April 19, 2024

George Miller

Wazdan amplifies Swiss presence with Swiss4Win launch

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Wazdan, the gain-focused developer behind some of the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences has further expanded in the regulated Swiss market, taking its games live with Swiss4Win.

The collaboration enhances Wazdan’s profile in the country with Swiss4Win’s leading online gambling platform revolutionising player experiences with the introduction of the studio’s exciting range of games.

As Wazdan continues to deliver the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences, this new partnership heralds a new era of entertainment. Players can look forward to a diverse selection of captivating slots designed to appeal to Swiss players.

In conjunction with this partnership, Swiss4Win unveils its new website, meticulously crafted to enhance user engagement. The platform boasts a cutting-edge SEO-oriented design, complemented by a sleek dark mode interface. With a heightened focus on slot providers, the website features a dedicated page showcasing premier gaming offerings.

Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales and Business Development at Wazdan, said: “We’re excited to join forces with swiss4win.ch to introduce our latest games to players worldwide. This collaboration represents a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in the iGaming industry.”

Paolo Sanvido, Chief Executive Officer at Casino Lugano and Swiss4Win, added: “Wazdan’s distinguished reputation stems from its exceptional graphics and innovative features, which have resonated with players globally. Its dedication to crafting enriching casino experiences offers players greater control over their gaming preferences and seamlessly aligns with our audience’s interests.”