Poland’s Totalizator Sportowy launches online casino
Poland’s only legal online casino and lottery sites are now live after Totalizator Sportowy launched TotalCasino.pl and iLotto.pl.
The website and mobile apps debuted on Wednesday (December 5) and offer slots, table games and lottery products. TotalCasino is powered by Playtech’s online casino platform, featuring a range of games from the supplier's portfolio, while lottery products are supplied by International Game Technology (IGT).
Under the terms of the country's 2016 gambling market re-regulation, state-owned Totalizator Sportowy is the only company that can offer online casino and promotional lotteries in Poland.
Totalizator Sportowy said the launch of the site had been the biggest challenge in its 60-year history, and it would monitor its impact on the Polish gambling sector.
“This big step towards meeting the needs of customers means the digitisation and implementation of innovative and modern tools for online sales of products, as well as increasing Totalizator Sportowy's revenues, and thus also increased funds transferred to the development of sport and culture,” said Olgierd Cieślik, Totalizator Sportowy’s president.
“Remember that this is the beginning of a very important process of further development of our services. By implementing it, we will listen carefully to the opinions of our players.”
Totalizator Sportowy, which was founded in 1956 and funds sports development in Poland, is also the only company that can operate slot parlours in the country under the terms of the 2016 Gambling Law, which was implemented from last April. Adding new products to its portfolio, the company saw a 21% year-on-year rise in net revenue from sales to PLN5.6bn (€1.5bn/$1.5bn) in 2017.
There are now 14 operators with online sports betting licences in Poland after Totalizator Sportowy’s racing division Traf Zakłady Wzajemne obtained a permit earlier this week. Other licensees include Cherry, Fortuna and Betclic Everest.
The regulated online market has grown significantly in the past year, with the Ministry of Finance reporting that it has helped total revenue for the sector expand by 22% year-on-year to €2.7bn in 2017. The government also noted that the licensed online operators’ market share had had risen to 40% by December 31, 2017.