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 BETFANsâ 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
Central Europe
SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austriaâs iGaming scene
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SYNOT Games, a leading iGaming provider, has partnered with win2day, taking a major step in its Austrian market growth strategy.
The collaboration marks its debut with the launch of Resin Joker, a fan-favorite slot that combines the simplicity of a classic gaming experience with a fresh, modern twist. With its smooth gameplay, vibrant audio-visuals, and universal appeal, Respin Joker has become a standout title for players seeking both entertainment and nostalgia.
As this partnership progresses, players can look forward to a steady rollout of additional games from SYNOT Gamesâ extensive portfolio, further enriching win2dayâs already robust catalog. This collaboration is designed to offer Austrian players a premium gaming experience, with a diverse selection of games that blend cutting-edge innovation and top-tier quality.
Georg Wawer, Managing Director of win2day, said: âAs the sole licensed operator in Austria, our goal is to host all leading iGaming providers on our platform. Synot, being a major player on the international stage, makes us proud to feature their content. We regard SYNOT Games as a skilled and trustworthy partner for win2day, and we are confident that this collaboration will yield great success.â
Martina KrajÄĂ, CCO at SYNOT Games, commented: âWe are excited to partner with win2day and bring our games to Austrian players. At SYNOT Games, our focus has always been on providing quality entertainment, and this partnership highlights our commitment to delivering an outstanding gaming experience.â
The post SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austriaâs iGaming scene appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany
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- From living room start-up to online market leader
- Ambitious growth targets and innovative product ideas
ZEAL Network SE, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1999 as Tipp24, the company was one of the first on the German market to bring lotteries to the internet. Since then, ZEAL has had a lasting impact on the German online lottery business.Â
âWe are very proud of a quarter century of ZEAL,â says Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL. âWhat began 25 years ago as a two-man start-up in Hamburg has now developed into a group of companies with more than 250 employees. We are more successful than ever in our core business of lottery brokerage and are continuously expanding our market share and our business model. In doing so, we are staying true to our motto: we define the future of lottery.â
From start-up to international group
ZEAL was founded as Tipp24 in Hamburg in 1999. The company was one of the first providers to enable participation in state lotteries in Germany via the Internet â with great success. The IPO followed in 2005. This was followed by the temporary relocation of the company headquarters to London, the change of name to ZEAL Network SE and the development of new business abroad. In 2019, the company returned to Hamburg and took over LOTTO24 AG. This made ZEAL the largest lottery broker in Germany. Today, more than 1.3 million customers play with ZEALâs brands every month.
âAs one of the founders, I am particularly happy about ZEALâs success story,â says Jens Schumann, co-founder of ZEAL 25 years ago and now a member of the Supervisory Board. âWhen we founded the company, we printed out the lottery tickets that our customers played online and handed them in at the kiosk around the corner. A lot has happened since then. Today, ZEAL is one of Germanyâs leading e-commerce companies. It gives me great pleasure to have been so closely involved in its development to date.â
Continuing to grow in the core business, developing new business areas
Today, ZEAL is the market leader for online lotteries in Germany. The brokerage of participation in state and charity lotteries remains the companyâs core business, which it intends to expand in the future. In addition, ZEAL is continuously developing its portfolio: in the summer, for example, the company launched the first raffle of an existing property in Germany with Traumhausverlosung (English name: Dream House Raffle). ZEAL also appeals to younger target groups in particular with the freiheit+ charity lottery. Last year, ZEAL also launched an online games offering, which has been continuously expanded since then. ZEAL also operates the online presence of the ONCE charity lottery in Spain, a public organization for the blind, and invests in industry-specific start-ups via its ventures department ZEAL Ventures.
The post 25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
NOVOMATIC once again honored with the âBusiness Superbrands Austria Awardâ
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The worldâs largest independent brand evaluation organization, Business Superbrands Brand Council, has once again recognized NOVOMATIC as one of Austriaâs strongest brands for the year 2024/2025.
The prestigious award is given to brands that have built up an outstanding image in their market segment and clearly stand out from their competitors. After a pre-selection by the credit rating service provider Bisnode D&B, an independent panel of experts decides on the awarding of the title. NOVOMATICâs exceptional brand strength and innovative power were convincing and underlined our success on both the domestic and international markets.
Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of NOVOMATIC AG, accepted the award from AndrĂĄs Wiszkidenszky, Superbrands Regional Director, and emphasized: âThis award underlines our strong market position and the continuous pursuit of innovation and excellence in the international gaming industry. At the same time, it is a sign of appreciation for the extraordinary commitment of our employees, who contribute to the success of the NOVOMATIC brand every day.â
AndrĂĄs Wiszkidenszky added: âThe Superbrand award underlines the economic appeal of the NOVOMATIC brand. Congratulations on the outstanding brand management and strong positioning that have made NOVOMATIC one of the strongest brands in Austria.â
The post NOVOMATIC once again honored with the âBusiness Superbrands Austria Awardâ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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