Eastern Europe

Scratchcard lottery mania grips Bulgaria

Published

6 years ago

July 3, 2018

Scratchcard lottery mania grips Bulgaria

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Armed with a coin, 96-year-old Stoyan Stoimenov from the small village of Tsurkva outside Sofia hunches over and tries his luck on yet another scratchcard.

“I tell myself: ‘I will win again.’ It’s not very likely but who knows,” he says, winking.

Stoimenov is just one of thousands of Bulgarians who have been gripped by a craze for scratchcards in recent years in the EU’s poorest member state, with some now raising the alarm over the dangers of widespread addiction.

In February, Stoimenov won 5,000 leva (2,500 euros, $3,000) — roughly 25 times his monthly pension — and distributed his prize among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

They thanked him by giving him more scratchcards for his 96th birthday on May 6.

In the small cafe where Stoimenov won his prize, the tables are full of fellow gamblers.

“I sell more scratchcards than anything else,” the girl at the counter says.

Critics say that the law has not kept pace with the explosion of scratchcard gambling, with even children allowed to participate with no age restriction.

“I play from time to time but there’s a boy in my class who does nothing but buy scratchcards,” says 10-year-old Denislav, while buying a two-leva ticket with his daily lunch money.

According to an expert study, commissioned by a government body in July 2016 in Bulgaria’s northwest — the EU’s poorest region — 10 percent of high school students buy scratchcards every day and 11 percent buy them once a week.

– Alarm over ‘epidemic’ –

According to an estimate by Bulgaria’s Capital financial weekly, 100 million scratchcards were sold in 2017 in a country of less than seven million people.

And a Gallup poll carried out in April estimated that 57 percent of Bulgarians participate in some form of gambling. The country is thought by experts to have the second biggest gambling industry in the EU behind Malta.

Adding to the lucrative nature of the business is the fact that the industry enjoys lower tax rates than, for example, tobacco concerns, and Bulgaria is the only EU country where the law doesn’t require lottery companies to donate a certain portion of their profits to good causes.

Some politicians are now pushing for action to curb the phenomenon.

Tsvetan Tsvetanov, deputy chief of the ruling GERB party, warns of “an epidemic among adolescents and people of low social status”.

The gaps in current legislation are illustrated by the rules for gambling advertising.
TV ads for lotteries and scratchcards are technically banned but broadcasters are allowed to show interviews with winners, who enthuse about their prizes of up to 200,000 leva and talk about how they buy a ticket every day with their morning coffee.

The proliferation of scratchcards in cafes, grocery shops and newspaper stands has led Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov to claim that “churches are the only place where you can’t find them”.

Earlier this year, Simeonov proposed changes to gambling laws which are now awaiting parliamentary approval.
They would bring in a ban on announcing lottery draws, prizes or winners on television, as well as banning the sale of scratchcards to minors, and restricting sales to special kiosks.

– ‘Assassination of sport’ –

But the push to toughen up gambling laws has run into some powerful opponents.

The KRIB, Bulgaria’s employers’ federation, has proposed a watered-down version of the changes that would only oblige TV channels to run warnings about the risk of addiction.

KRIB has said it fears Simeonov’s changes would have “grave consequences” for the media and for sports clubs, as well as the 177,000 people employed in the gambling industry.
According to data from Nielsen Admosphere, gambling companies were the biggest advertisers on Bulgarian television in 2017.

The Bulgarian Football Union has also expressed its staunch opposition, reflecting the fact that clubs get much of their sponsorship money from online betting platforms.

Bulgarian football star Hristo Stoichkov — who has himself appeared in ads for online gambling platforms — has been a vocal defender of the industry, going so far as to claim that plans to curb it would mean “the assassination of sport”.

Source: AFP

Eastern Europe

ICONIC21 makes Romania debut with Princess Casino

Published

1 week ago

October 29, 2024

George Miller

ICONIC21 makes Romania debut with Princess Casino

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Live content provider continues to expand into new markets with top online casino operator in Romania now offering its hugely popular games to its players

ICONIC21, the in-demand provider of premium live content, has made its debut in the Romania market through a deal with Princess Casino, one of the top online casino brands in the fast-growing market.

The deal will see Princess Casino gain access to some of the top-performing titles from ICONIC21’s portfolio of live games which have proven to not only meet but exceed player expectations in markets across the world.

This includes classic live table games such as Blackjack and Roulette (including French and Auto Roulette) and popular Asian formats like Baccarat, Bet On Teen Patti and Sic Bo.

Princess Casino players can also experience the provider’s Gravity Series which covers Gravity Blackjack, Gravity Roulette and Gravity Sic Bo. Gravity games take excitement to a new level with additional multipliers of up to 3,000x.

The studio stands out through the quality of its titles, with games broadcast from state-of-the-art studio facilities that make use of the latest audio, visual and streaming technologies. It also has a team of highly experienced game presenters that bring a wow factor to each of its titles.

This has seen ICONIC21 quickly become a must-have provider for operators in regulated markets across Europe and beyond and the provider is confident that players in Romania will be drawn to the high levels of entertainment its games provide.

Alina Mihaela Popa, Chief Commercial Officer at ICONIC21, said: “We are always working hard to bring our games to more players in more markets and this partnership with Princess Casino is the perfect way to make our debut in Romania.

“Princess Casino is aligned with our commitment to provide games that entertain and excite, keeping players on the edge of their seats from the first round to the last.

“Our portfolio is varied, offering a wide range of live games and formats, many with our own unique twist such as our Gravity. We are confident players at Princess Casino will like what each of our games has to offer.”

Eastern Europe

Stakelogic Announces Romanian Partnership with Game World Casino

Published

1 week ago

October 29, 2024

George Miller

Stakelogic Announces Romanian Partnership with Game World Casino

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Stakelogic continues its expansion into Romania with strategic integration

Stakelogic, has once again strengthened its position in one of Europe’s most exciting jurisdictions, as it today announces that it has completed a strategic integration with one of Romania’s most prominent casino operators – Game World Casino.

Game World Casino is the player’s favorite choice since 1999 when its doors first opened to the land-based market. Since then, and with the emergence of online casino, Game World Casino has received multiple accolades and awards and is one of the most trusted and recognised online casino brands in Romania.

Stakelogic’s slot content will now be featured in front of a loyal new audience. Players can look forward to playing any one of Stakelogic’s slot games including Stone Gaze of Medusa and the developer’s latest release The Watcher™.

Neil Tanti, Senior Sales Manager at Stakelogic said: “Working alongside such a prominent casino in one of the fastest growing regions in Europe, is a great opportunity for us, which is why we are incredibly proud to be partnered with Game World Casino.

“Romania plays such an important part of our expansion strategy and it’s great to see that our online slot content is in such high demand with players.”

Catalin Moise, COO at Game World Casino: “Our players are accustomed to our mission, which is to provide them with exceptional customer experience and to exceed expectations.”

“Bolstering our portfolio with quality slots from providers such as Stakelogic is a normal step that we do to meet player’s expectations, and we are very excited for this new partnership.”

Eastern Europe

Stakelogic Slots Now Live with Stanleybet Romania

Published

2 weeks ago

October 25, 2024

George Miller

Stakelogic Slots Now Live with Stanleybet Romania

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Stanleybet.ro players in Romania can now play Stakelogic’s award-winning content

Stakelogic, the industry-leading provider of casino content, has today announced that it has integrated its entire portfolio of award-winning slot content onto Stanleybet Romania.

Over the last few years, Stakelogic has made huge strides within the Romanian market and this latest partnership only looks to strengthen this strategic foothold. On the Stanleybet platform, players can now look forward to playing some of the most immersive and exciting casino games such as Stone Gaze of Medusa™, Gemstone Mine™ and Big Sugar Bonanza.

Stanleybet has quickly established itself as a prominent name in the Romanian market amongst players and it has earned an enviable reputation for its commitment to delivering engaging and immersive casino content to its players.

Neil Tanti, Senior Sales Manager at Stakelogic said: “Stanleybet Romania has quickly established itself as a prominent name in the Romanian market and has garnered a reputation for providing Romanian players with a fantastic destination for great game content.”

“Players of the casino have come to expect engaging and immersive slot content which is why our games will be a great addition to Stanleybet.ro’s casino lobby and we are really excited for the future of this collaboration.”

Catalin Moise, COO at Stanleybet Romania said: “We have been impressed by Stakelogic’s approach to slot innovation which aligns perfectly with our mission to provide players with the best possible experience.”