Playing Safely and Responsibly Strengthens a Country’s Potential

State monopoly in the gambling games industry enables more effective control over this highly sensitive area – both economically and socially – emphasises Szymon Gawryszczak, Member of the Management Board of Totalizator Sportowy, the owner of the LOTTO brand.

Poland is part of select group of European countries with a strong and extensive state monopoly on games of chance. What are the advantages of this monopoly from your company’s perspective, and its advantages over approaches applied in other countries?

In Poland, the state first established a monopoly on most forms of gambling games, and then entrusted its implementation to Totalizator Sportowy, a company wholly owned by the State Treasury. This arrangement allows for more effective oversight over this sensitive sector, both economically and socially. The funds generated by Totalizator Sportowy remain in the country, contributing to the state budget and supporting important social goals, while at the same time, player protection is strengthened, e.g. through mandatory and voluntary marketing restrictions.

What is the state’s priority here: generating revenue from gaming or pursuing social goals?

The primary focus is on protecting players and minimising the risk associated with excessive promotion of gambling, particularly in high-risk areas such as slot machines and online casino games. The aim is to minimise the negative social and individual consequences of gambling. At the same time, we are assured that the funds generated in this sector will primarily benefit society. Totalizator Sportowy’s obligations towards the state budget result mainly from the gaming tax (for online casinos and gaming machine parlours, the rate is 50 percent) and contributions to sports, culture, health care and the development of civil society. Also significant is the several hundred-million-zloty dividend that Totalizator Sportowy pays annually to its sole owner, the State Treasury.