Interactive
Poland – State-owned Totalizator Sportowy given online slot monopoly in Poland
By Phil - 22 July 2016
Whilst opening its online sector to casino and poker, Poland’s Council of Ministers has voted to limit the online slots market to a one operator; state-owned lottery group Totalizator Sportowy.
New approvals to the Polish Gaming Act, expecting to be introduced to the market at the start of next year, will allow Totalizator Sportowy to offer more than just the online sports betting currently allowed.
Totalizator Sportowy recently became the official sponsor of the national Ekstraklasa football league, the top league in Poland.
Totalizator Sportowy, owner of the LOTTO brand, has operated continuously in the domestic lottery market for 60 years. It has a network more than 15,000 points of sale working in the online system.
There is still some hope though that international online poker companies will be allowed to operate in Poland.
Estimates pitch the new market as capable of generating an extra PLN637m (US$160m) in its first year increasing to PLN1.48b in the second year and PLN 2.32 in the third.
Taxation on sports betting will stay at 20 per cent of revenue. Poland’s deputy PM and Minister of Science and Higher Education, Jarosław Gowin had wanted to replace this tax with a 12 per cent tax on sports betting.
