Central Europe

Winners of the historical gala of Polish Gaming Aces 2019 were chosen

Published

6 years ago

February 28, 2020

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

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Birgit Wimmer

Birgit Wimmer Named Chairwoman as NOVOMATIC AG Reshapes Supervisory Board

Published

6 days ago

January 20, 2026

Wladimir P.

birgit-wimmer-named-chairwoman-as-novomatic-ag-reshapes-supervisory-board

During the General Meeting of NOVOMATIC AG, Birgit Wimmer, MSc., MBA, was designated to the Supervisory Board and subsequently elected as its Chairwoman in the constitutive meeting. She steps into the role of Dr. Bernd Oswald, who served as a Member of the Supervisory Board of NOVOMATIC AG for roughly ten years and will now assume a different role within the company group.

As a co-shareholder, Birgit Wimmer has engaged for many years in key governance roles within the top holding companies, including stints as a Non-Executive Member of the Board of Directors for the Swiss holding companies and as Managing Director of NOVO Invest GmbH. She possesses substantial experience in investment and management, along with numerous years of involvement in the banking sector.

“As Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, I look forward to working together with my colleagues on both the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board as we help to successfully shape the Group’s strategic and sustainable development,” says Birgit Wimmer.

Dr. Haig Asenbauer, an internationally experienced lawyer with particular expertise in cross-border M&A transactions, company reorganization, and complex investment structures, was elected to serve as Deputy Chairman. Martina Flitsch retains her position as a Member of the Supervisory Board. She has many years of experience in international group structures and in providing strategic and legal support for corporate investments. Dr. Robert Hofians, a recognized finance and capital markets expert who also has extensive experience in the fields of governance and regulation in his roles as a professor and public accountant, also remains a Member of the Supervisory Board.

As of January 1, 2026, the Supervisory Board of NOVOMATIC AG is now composed as follows:

Birgit Wimmer, MSc., MBA (Chairwoman)
Dr. Haig Asenbauer (Deputy Chairman)
Martina Flitsch (Member)
Dr. Robert Hofians (Member)

The post Birgit Wimmer Named Chairwoman as NOVOMATIC AG Reshapes Supervisory Board appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Europe

Ring Casino in Nürburgring at the Finish Line with NOVOVISION

Published

2 weeks ago

January 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

ring-casino-in-nurburgring-at-the-finish-line-with-novovision

The Ring Casino at the Nürburgring Congress Hotel has successfully deployed Novomatic’s NovoVision Casino Management System. As a branch of Spielbank Bad Neuenahr, the property integrated this visionary CMS to centralize operations and modernize its daily workflow. Beyond operational efficiency, the move ensures full compliance with upcoming German regulatory shifts, leveraging NovoVision’s advanced modules to uphold the highest standards in player protection and responsible gaming.

The venue offers around 450 square metres of gaming fun for fans of high-speed entertainment, with 62 video slots offering a range of attractive jackpots. All the gaming terminals are now managed centrally via NOVOVISION Floor Control, and jackpot management, cash handling via TITO and accounting are also operated in real time via the diverse system functionalities of NOVOVISION. In particular, access control via NOVOVISION access, player management and database comparison of each visitor with the nationwide OASIS exclusion database were key decision-making criteria for the operator. Both during initial registration and on each subsequent visit to the casino, access at the gates is only granted after thorough verification of the guest’s identity and age, as well as re-/verification against the exclusion database.

Following the successful introduction of NOVOVISION at the Ring Casino am Nürburgring, rollout at the other two locations in Bad Dürkheim and in Bad Neuenahr will follow in the first quarter of 2026.

Marcin Kozlowski, Head of Product Development & Market Coordination NBS, said: “Being able to supply Spielbank Bad Neuenahr, a long-standing NOVOMATIC customer, with our CMS as the core of its casino operations is further confirmation of our excellent business relationship. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the management for the trust they have placed in us and the teams for their excellent cooperation both in the run-up to and during the implementation.”

Thomas Salinger, Technical Director of Gaming at Spielbank Bad Neuenahr GmbH & Co. KG, said: “The successful introduction of NOVOVISION at the Spielbank in Nürburg represents a first major and important milestone in the system implementation in our gaming venues. This powerful casino management solution, with its diverse system functionalities, enables us to meet the ever-growing regulatory requirements efficiently and in a future-proof manner. We look forward to continuing the joint implementation in our casinos with our long-standing business partner NOVOMATIC.”

The post Ring Casino in Nürburgring at the Finish Line with NOVOVISION appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Europe

ScatterKings adds sugar-coated spin to Austria with bespoke win2day partnership

Published

1 month ago

December 17, 2025

Wladimir P.

scatterkings-adds-sugar-coated-spin-to-austria-with-bespoke-win2day-partnership

ScatterKings has made its debut in Austria, partnering with operator win2day to bring its vibrant, hand-crafted portfolio to one of Europe’s most tightly regulated markets.

Headlining the partnership is Sweet win2day, a mouth-watering title designed exclusively for the operator. Other standout ScatterKings games, including Coins of Cleo, Vikings and Hogs Christmas and Big Bob, have also hit the screens of win2day’s customers, with further releases scheduled to follow.

Win2day is operated by Austrian Lotteries, which was founded more than 50 years ago and holds the only licence to offer online casino gaming in the country. The brand has gained a rich heritage as a trusted name in the market, priding itself on being one of the industry’s most responsible operators.

Through this deal, the new and fiercely passionate provider is redefining what modern slot content looks like for local players.

For ScatterKings, every game stands as a testament to its philosophy – proven mechanics fused with genuine artistic vision. A true labour of love from battle-tested developers, the brand-new studio, years in the making, is channelling its expertise into games crafted with soul.

With a leadership team of seasoned industry veterans spanning years of experience, ScatterKings is primed to accelerate its global growth and continue building games that deliver non-stop thrills.

Steven Cross, CCO at ScatterKings, said: “Our launch with win2day is such a proud moment for us and it’s a partnership built on trust in both our vision and craft.

“Entering such an exclusive market is a powerful endorsement of the quality and personality our content brings. We’re here to deliver premium entertainment to players under the most respected regulatory standards.”

Georg Wawer, Managing Director at win2day, said: “As Austria’s only licensed online gambling operator, it is our responsibility to offer players exclusively high-quality, secure and fully compliant gaming content. With ScatterKings, we welcome a highly innovative partner whose technological excellence and creative strength perfectly match our uncompromising standards.

“The studio’s games are optimised to meet the strictest player protection requirements, ensuring that every title on our platform delivers not only great entertainment but also the highest level of safety and responsibility. Their growing portfolio will be a valuable and exciting addition to win2day.”

The post ScatterKings adds sugar-coated spin to Austria with bespoke win2day partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.