Central Europe

Polish sports betting market sums up 2020: STS named the market leader

Published

3 years ago

February 8, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

For another year in a row, STS was the largest bookmaking company with a year-over-year increase in shares. Fortuna, the runner-up, was in the decline. The third-best, forBet, is on the rise, as reported by “Stowarzyszenie Graj Legalnie” (Association for the Elimination of Black Economy Betting in Poland ‘Bet legally’). Revenues of licensed operators, as well as the amount of taxes contributed by the sector, would be higher if it were not for companies operating in the grey zone which are estimated by the “Graj Legalnie” association to account for several dozen per cent of the market.

STS is the largest sports betting company in Poland. The company managed by Mateusz Juroszek already controls 45.8 per cent of the licensed part of the sector, compared to its 45.1 per cent at the end of 2019. The sports betting company has also recorded an increase in revenues, from PLN 3.081 bn to PLN 3.319 bn.

According to the estimates of the “Graj Legalnie” association, the second-best, Fortuna, has recorded a decrease in revenues from over PLN 2.1 bn to ca. PLN 2 bn. The company has also lost its market share, from 30.9 per cent to 27.8 per cent. The third one on the podium is forBET (6.6 per cent of the market vs 6 per cent in 2019).

Other legal sports betting businesses in the ranking are Betclic (4.2 per cent of the market vs 1.7 per cent YoY), LV Bet (2.7 per cent vs 3.5 per cent YoY), Betfan (2.6 per cent vs 1.6 per cent YoY), Totolotek (2.3 per cent vs 4.5 per cent YoY), Totallbet (2.2. per cent vs 1.6 per cent YoY) and eToto (2 per cent vs 2.2 per cent YoY). Other players control the remaining 3.7 per cent of the market.

The full list:

Sports betting company	Market share in 2020	Market share in 2019 Advertisement
STS	45.8 %	45,1%
Fortuna	27.8 % Advertisement	30.9 %
forBet	6.6 %	6%
Betclic* Advertisement	4.2 %	1.7 %
LV Bet	2.7 %	3.5 % Advertisement
Betfan*	2.6 %	1.6 %
Totolotek	2.3 % Advertisement	4.6 %
Totalbet	2.2 %	1.6 %
eToto Advertisement	2 %	2.2 %
Other	3.7 %	2.9 % Advertisement

*It should, however, be noted that Betfan and Betclic were not operating from the beginning of 2019, therefore their results are not fully reliable.

COMMENTARY: Katarzyna Mikołajczyk, President of the “Graj Legalnie” association

The year 2020 was very subversive for the sports betting industry. After a promising beginning, the second quarter brought the lockdown of global sport. The most flexible companies with a diversified portfolio and well-developed produce and technology were able to make up for the losses incurred during those months. The best example of this is the market leader – STS. The company, despite a decline in revenues in the second quarter, achieved at the end of 2020 a result better than in the previous 12 months.

The pandemic has also affected its local betting shops, most of which have been closed during the lockdown. After reopening, traffic at many of these locations did not return to pre-pandemic levels, and some customers moved to the online channel. Totolotek did not manage to cope in this difficult situation – it has recently announced the closing of all of its local betting shops. It was the leaders who made it.

Graj Legalnie

The mission of the Graj Legalnie association is to improve the situation of legal sports betting businesses in Poland. Its goal is to protect the sector from illegal and unfair competition. The organisation was founded in 2016 to support operators licensed by the Minister of Finance in their functioning in a complex legal and competitive environment. Challenges facing both the association and the Polish authorities include the grey economy accounting for several dozen per cent of the market and losses incurred by the state budget for unpaid taxes worth several billion zloty.

Moreover, the task of the association is to create a positive image of the sports betting industry, to shape and to disseminate the principles of ethics in business operations and share best practices, as well as information between its membrs. Since its foundation, the association has been focussed on providing reliable information and data concerning the Polish sports betting industry.

Central Europe

Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group

Published

7 days ago

May 10, 2024

Niji Narayan

playtech-expands-ipoker-network-into-the-czech-republic-in-partnership-with-fortuna-entertainment-group

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Playtech announced the expansion of its iPoker network into the Czech Republic, in partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group (Fortuna), marking the first introduction of Playtech’s iPoker network in the Czech market.

This launch represents a significant milestone for both Playtech and Fortuna, as it introduces poker into the Fortuna Entertainment Group for the first time. Through Playtech’s iPoker network, Fortuna’s players in the Czech Republic will now have access to a diverse range of poker games, benefitting from a strong international liquidity pool of players from all around the world, plus a high-quality player experience and state-of-the-art poker product.

The iPoker network has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, and the addition of Fortuna will contribute to the continuation of this trend. The Czech Republic is a prominent hub for live poker tournaments in Europe, with prestigious events held year-round in cities like Prague and Rozvadov. By joining forces with Fortuna, Playtech aims to tap into the potential of this vibrant market, bringing an unmatched online poker experience to the Czech audience.

Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fortuna to expand our iPoker network into the Czech market. Playtech is committed to providing a high-quality player experience through its cutting-edge poker product and continuous innovation and together with Fortuna’s continued success and significant growth trajectory as the leading betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe, this partnership will offer a modern, seamless, and engaging user experience for Fortuna’s players.”

Myke Foster, Group Head of Gaming & Commercial Strategy at Fortuna Entertainment Group, said: “Poker has a significant presence in the Czech market with an established player base and we are impressed by the quality of Playtech’s poker product. We see tremendous potential in this product and are confident it will deliver an exceptional and modern user experience to our customer base. We have had a very successful partnership with Playtech over the years and we look forward to watching this partnership continue to grow from strength to strength.”

The post Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games

Published

1 week ago

May 9, 2024

George Miller

bf-games-enters-czech-market-with-apollo-games

Reading Time: < 1 minute

BF Games, the dynamic game development studio, has entered a new market through a collaboration with Apollo Games, a major licensed online casino operator in the Czech Republic. The content deal provides Apollo Games customers with the supplier’s most engaging releases, including titles like Stunning Hot Remastered and Cave of Fortune, which are now available.

ApolloGames.cz has been entertaining Czech players since 2021 and is part of the globally known Apollo Game Group, which boasts more than 17 years of experience in online games as well as land-based operations. The commercial partnership is part of the supplier’s plans to expand across Europe and supply thrilling games to operator partners worldwide.

Rok Hribar, Head of Sales and Account Management at BF Games, said, “Our new partnership with Apollo Games is a huge milestone for us as we make a significant entrance into the growing Czech market.
“We look forward to providing some of our most popular games to Apollo Games player base and bringing our creative content to their screens.”

Stanislav Jurecka, Casino Manager at Apollo Games, said, “We are watching the rapid development of BF Games’ offerings and are thrilled to sign this deal with the studio.”
“Adding BF Games’ slots to our online casino is a great win for us and our players, providing fantastic entertainment through a great mix of classic and innovative content. We look forward to introducing further games throughout the year and growing our successful partnership.”

The post BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership

Published

4 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

George Miller

apparat-gaming-and-edict-egaming-announce-partnership

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide

With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.

As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.

This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.

Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.

Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.

Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”

Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”

The post Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.