Central Europe
Winners of the historical gala of Polish Gaming Aces 2019 were chosen
For the first time in history after the amendment to the gambling act in Poland, awards were granted to companies in the entertainment industry. The Polish Gaming Aces Gala, which was created on the initiative of the largest Polish entertainment website – Interplay, was held on February 20th at City Hall Production in Warsaw.
The jury awarded seven main prizes and two special prizes. “Totalizator Sportowy” won the most awards, winning in three categories – Company of the Year, Special Grand Prix Award for activities on the e-commerce market, as well as President of the Year.
On April 1, 2017, an amendment to the gambling act entered into force in Poland. The legal provision applies, among others to bookmakers, poker, slot machines and casinos. Pursuant to the Act on games and mutual wagering, the state-owned company Totalizator Sportowy has become a monopolist in the field of number games, cash lotteries, arcades (excluded land-based casinos) and online casinos. According to the regulations, betting in Poland is only legal with entities that have a permit from the Ministry of Finance. Under Polish law, all gambling games are subject to a tax on games – 15% cash lotteries, 12% betting, 20% games, 50% poker. In the case of winnings above PLN 2,280, they are also taxed with 10% personal income tax.
The first main Polish Gaming Aces award in the Provider of the Year category went to IGT. In 2019, the company comprehensively served Totalizator Sportowy in the provision of lottery software. In addition, IGT was distinguished by the fact that company was promoting Diversity & Inclusion with an emphasis on equalizing professional opportunities for women and men in the IT industry.
BETFAN turned out to be the best debutant in 2019. The bookmaker hit the Polish market by storm and built a good base in less than a year to compete on the market with other companies. BETFAN’s success proved to be a tax-free promotion and marketing campaign with Mariusz Pudzianowski, who helped build the brand’s credibility.
The main prize in the Product of the Year category was awarded to the Promatic Group for creating the game Husaria. Designers of the slot from PromaticGroup tried to reflect the most important attributes of Polish cavalry. Gamers were certainly captivated by the animation of Hussar speeding into battle, who took players into the middle of the battle.
OlgierdCieslik became the President of the Year, who successfully led Totalizator Sportowy through the difficult process of technological revolution, which consisted in increasing the e-commerce sector in the operations of the state-owned company. The state-owned company has achieved significant development in every range of products – both online and from the retail network.
In the Marketing Campaign of the Year category, the award was granted to BETFAN together with its ambassador Mariusz Pudzianowski. The best debutant of the previous year needed credibility and Mariusz Pudzianowski assured one. The former strongman and current MMA fighter appeared on the brand’s advertising materials, in social media, but also on the BETFANs’ home page. The slogans promoting the campaign with Pudzianowski were attractive, mentions of cooperation appeared all over the Internet – also on websites that do not deal with gambling or sport on a daily basis.
STS became the winner of Polish Gaming Aces in the Bookmaker of the Year category. The company managed by Mateusz Juroszek maintained its position, and with innovative ideas and creative marketing efforts increased the competitive advantage in many fields. For STS in 2019 there were two breakthrough moments – the introduction of BETGAMES and rebranding with a completely new graphic design of the home page in the desktop, mobile, but also the renewed mobile application. STS has also been operating on foreign markets since last year.
In the last and also the most prestigious category of the Company of the Year, Totalizator Sportowy once again triumphed. Business, which until now was largely associated with activities in retail, in less than two years had to undergo a huge transformation and now Totalizator Sportowy can be considered as a technology company. From the tax on games developed only by the brands of a state-owned company, over 232 milion euro will go to the state budget. Novomatic, IGT and STS were also nominated in the Company of the Year category.
The first special award for contribution in development of the entertainment industry went to Iwo Bulski. Totalizator Sportowy won the Polish Gaming Aces Grand Prix for activities on the e-commerce market.
– I am glad that for the first time in Poland we had the opportunity to organize a Gala with awards for the entertainment industry in Poland. After the event, we received many favorable reviews, which means that we are heading in the right direction as an industry – said the editor-in-chief of Interplay, Maciej Akimow
B2B gaming supplier Push Gaming has expanded its reach across Europe, following its entry into Switzerland with the prominent operator Grand Casino Luzern.
The agreement is the first for Push Gaming within the regulated Swiss jurisdiction and will see world-renowned titles like Razor Returns, Jammin’ Jars and Wild Swarm be offered to the operator, alongside new hits such as Boss Bear.
Grand Casino Luzern’s online brand mycasino will gain access to these titles on an eight-week exclusivity deal. During this time, it will be the only operator to offer Push Gaming titles in the market before its portfolio is rolled out to additional operators thereafter.
Push Gaming’s entry into Switzerland exemplifies the provider’s global expansion strategy and acts as a precursor for further growth within Europe and around the world. It follows the company’s recent entries into markets including Greece, Colombia and Italy.
Fiona Hickey, Director of New Business and Markets at Push Gaming, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Grand Casino Luzern whilst simultaneously entering the Swiss market.
“The operator’s leading position within Switzerland will allow our fan favourite titles to reach a vast audience and aid in further growth within the market thereafter. We are excited to see players’ reception to our unique content.”
Wolfgang Bliem, CEO at Grand Casino Luzern, said: “We are thrilled to be the first operator to introduce Push Gaming’s captivating slot titles to the passionate Swiss player base. This achievement underscores our leading position in the industry and the esteemed reputation of the mycasino brand.
“Our goal is to offer players the broadest range of high-quality titles that also provide innovation and transformative gameplay experiences, and through the partnership with Push Gaming, we reaffirm these aspirations. We are ecstatic to exclusively showcase their content on our platform, leading the way in doing so in Switzerland.”
Gaming technology and services provider BetConstruct has received a Virtual Slot Machines License from the GGL, Germany’s iGaming regulator.
By receiving this new licence, BetConstruct can now offer virtual online slot machines in compliance with German gambling laws and requirements. This opens up new horizons and opportunities for everyone interested in the German market, including slot game providers, BetConstruct operators and players alike.
Hermine Gevorgyan, Head of BetConstruct’s Licensing and Certification Department, said: “We are thrilled to announce our successful acquisition of the German virtual slot licence – a remarkable accomplishment that marks the culmination of a challenging and rewarding journey for our entire team.”
“Securing the German slot licence was undeniably a challenging journey, but today, we stand proud as we celebrate this significant achievement. With this licence in hand, we are poised to introduce a new niche to the market, setting higher standards and redefining excellence in the gaming industry with our innovative and award-winning products tailored for the German market,” Gor Mnatsakanyan, BetConstruct’s Regional Director in Germany, said.
NeoGames S.A subsidiary Pariplay® has gone live with Wizard Games content in the regulated market of Germany, through the country’s leading online lottery operator ZEAL.
A range of feature-rich and innovative slots from Pariplay®’s in-house studio Wizard Games will be made available to German players through the deal, starting with smash-hit flagship title Dragons of the North.
ZEAL is the leading online provider of state-licensed lottery products that operates through its B2C brands LOTTO24 and Tipp24. The company recently also branched out into virtual scratch cards and arcade-style releases via ZEAL Instant Games. ZEAL is renowned for offering users a seamless and personalised experience, with its original lottery products backed by outstanding customer service.
Further titles from the Wizard Games portfolio will be supplied to the operator in the coming months through Pariplay®’s Fusion®, further expanding the range of entertainment available for players in the potential-rich German market.
Pariplay®’s Fusion® offering consists of over 14,000 games from 120+ suppliers, as well as a comprehensive suite of back-office conversion and retention tools that enhance player value, including Fusion Tournaments, Raffle Rocket and Spin that Wheel.
Through the latest launch with ZEAL, Pariplay® has taken its latest step toward the long-term goal of becoming a leading content supplier worldwide, following a series of important deals to offer content from its Fusion platform.
Enrico Bradamante, Chief Commercial Officer at Pariplay, said: “The German market is one of strategic importance for Pariplay, as we continue to expand in regulated markets globally. ZEAL is one of the country’s leading lights and we can’t wait to see how Wizard Games content performs with its players.”
Julian Tietz, Managing Director, ZEAL Instant Games, said: “We are delighted to have another strong partner at our side in Pariplay®, with whom we can further expand our slots offering and strategically grow our business. Pariplay® is renowned as one of the industry’s premier providers and their popular content will help us to further engage with our diverse player base. Through our cooperation, we are proud to be the first operator to bring Wizard Games to the German Market.”
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