SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
French online gambling group Betclic Everest has been granted the right to service the Polish online sports betting market by the nation’s Ministry of Finance.
On 26 September, the Polish government updated its list of approved sports betting concessions, which are allowed to operate within its regulated market.
Betclic Everest has secured a Polish sports betting licence, under the domain ‘BEM Operations Ltd’. However, the French operator has yet to confirm whether it will enter the market.
Under the leadership of new CEO Nicolas Béraud, Betclic seeks to develop its sports betting prospects beyond its home market of France.
The operator has detailed strong progress for its Betclic Portugal sportsbook brand launched in 2016. Nevertheless, the Polish market remains a much tougher prospect for new betting incumbents.
Revamping the code of its ‘Gambling Law’ mandate in 2017, the Polish government introduced a 12% turnover betting tax on all operators, a move that was deemed unworkable by industry stakeholders.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance requires that all licensed online gambling firms service an active operational presence within the country.
Poland’s tough landscape has seen multiple European operators such as William Hill, bet365 and Energybet withdraw from the jurisdiction.
Betclic joins Stockholm-listed Cherry AB in securing an official Polish sports betting licence. In its July update, Cherry governance confirmed that it would be launching a Polish dedicated brand, which will be operated from a new Warsaw office.
