Bulgaria

Interview with Hrvoje Vincetic, Managing Director of Casino Adriatic Opatija, Croatia

Published

9 years ago

October 30, 2015

Hrvoje Vincetic was born in Croatia in 1962, the study of Engineering in Agronomy finished at University of Osijek. His casino career started 20 years ago at position of craps dealer in the American Palace Laguna Casino at Poreć, Croatia. Afterward, he has spent 5 years at HIT Casinos Group in Slovenia, over 5 years at Casino Mulino (HR) and over 4 years as Managing Director of Royal Casino (HR). He has managed the Casino Cibalia of the Croatian Lottery in Vinkovci (HR) for about 3 years.

Hrvoje is the Moderator & speaker of the Gambling Tourism panel and moderator of Poker panel at the 8th edition Eastern European Gaming Summit, which will be held 23-24 November, 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria

EEG: Croatia is looking to regulate the gambling market and enable foreign operators to apply for licensing. Do you see this as a good move by the government? Will it give a push to the economy, but mostly for the tourism?

Hrvoje: The voting for the new law has been postponed several times in the last two years and the end of that tapeworm is not to be seen yet. Foreign operators were being allowed to apply in the past times, too, under certain conditions. Similar as in Bulgaria, foreign operator has to have at least a Ltd Company (or higher company level) registered locally. The present gaming law (and the forthcoming, too) in my country may be named pretty liberal and convenient to make a good investment climate, but… the country itself is poorly populated with barely 4 millions of inhabitants dispersed on huge area. The counting to get enough income from mostly tourist would be a wrong counting because the season of full tourism (and consequently interesting in sense of good income) is too short, based on summer tourism. On the other side, the gaming taxes (which are generally not too high) are due to get paid all year around, with the significant amount that has to be paid on basis of concession fee at the very beginning of every year. The concession holder is due to keep the casino (or any gaming business) open 365 days a year. So, all in all, the potential investor does not really see the opportunity. Croatia, unfortunately, has got no chance to ever become a great gaming tourism destination. The exception may show up in poker tourism, but not without further major investment in people and venues. Gaming/gambling/casinos are to stay “additional touristic offer”, hardly some more. And that would be the beginning and the end of the story.

EEG: Has gambling tourism flourished in Croatia since the country has been accepted by EU to be part of the Union?

Hrvoje: There’s no visible impact on gaming tourism in sense of flourishing, at least not yet. To follow the truth, the tourism itself is kind a flourishing because the average European tourist in the last two years definitely accepted Croatia as secure and very interesting destination, especially regarding prices and natural beauty. The positive impact on gaming tourism is not yet to be in process and, in my modest opinion, won’t really happen soon. Two years from joining the EU seem too short period, especially if one puts too little effort in changing economic climate and in adopting the positive law changes.

There is a huge increment of foreign traffic on Croatian roads towards the touristic destinations; especially this summer but this first wave just slightly touched the gaming venues.

Several live game destinations unfortunately closed their doors in the last 2 years – Umag, Pula, Varaždin, Opatija… and the number of those still operating is pretty reduced with no clear intention of enlargement. But, there are some local and foreign investors announcing investments in casino business. They’ve actually got concessions (5 of them) these days and it’s to be seen how all this story with their investments will finish. Let’s give them some time with the best wishes and hopes.

EEG: In regards to poker, should Eastern European countries try and create their own theme to make this sport more popular locally?

Hrvoje: Yes, that would be great. Since I’m on the operator’s side in Texas Hold’em from 2004 and in poker generally from 1990, I believe for myself to have a good overlook of the poker scene and the poker people (in Eastern Europe) at the very moment. I know some individuals with great capacities to make something big; really huge of the EE poker. Probably less with the online and more with the land-based poker.

But, these individuals are very busy to make their daily income and they need kind of string to pull them all together into the same swimming pool. Is it realistic to expect them to join their forces and to make a “big story” and make that beautiful poker community closer to an average Janez, Piszta, Ivan or Dimitri…? There is no unambiguous answer. But, I’m looking forward to it!

If you would like to get the unique opportunity to ask all your important questions and learn first-hand details, be sure to attend the Eastern European Gaming Summit at which Hrvoje Vincetic shall give his expert opinion. For 8th consecutive year on 23 – 24 November 2015, Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria will bring together under one roof world’s leading figures and companies from the industry to present and outline current market developments and future trends with global vision and focus on the Eastern European market.

Visit the EEGS website here.

Zoltan "Hawkie" Tundik

With an experience of over 8 years in the online gambling industry, as an affiliate, later affiliate manager and consultant, I consider myself a veteran of the industry and can guarantee that you will be served with the most accurate information.

Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Bulgaria

SOFTSWISS Gets Certification for Its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria

Published

1 month ago

October 15, 2024

George Miller

SOFTSWISS, a leading technology provider for iGaming, has further solidified its presence in the European market by securing certification for its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria.

The iGaming market in Bulgaria is experiencing significant growth, attracting new businesses despite stringent domestic regulations. The market is projected to generate 168.70 million euro in revenue by 2028, with an annual growth rate of 5.42%. The number of users is expected to reach 377.3 thousand by the same year, further highlighting the sector’s momentum.

In line with this growth, SOFTSWISS announces that its Jackpot Aggregator has received certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), ensuring it meets all technical requirements for use in the Bulgarian market. With the new certification of the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, Bulgarian-licensed operators can integrate this advanced engagement tool into their casino offerings.

In May, SOFTSWISS successfully entered the Bulgarian market through a partnership with Topwin.bg, which implemented the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator, and the Sportsbook.

“We are seeing a strong surge in interest in our jackpot mechanic, fueled by the growing demand for engagement tools in the market. That’s why we are committed to further developing the Jackpot Aggregator, enhancing its features, and expanding into new markets. Certification for the Bulgarian market is a clear testament to our ambition and drive for expansion. We are actively working on obtaining certifications in other jurisdictions,” comments Angelina Stasiuk, Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator.

SOFTSWISS has several international and national licences and certifications, including a South African licence acquired through the purchase of a majority stake in Turfsport. The company recently announced its plans to become the first certified software provider in Brazil.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

Bulgaria

Betway Bulgaria officially launches, offers live and bet-builder options

Published

3 years ago

March 22, 2022

George Miller

Another company has officially launched its activities in the growing niche of online betting in Bulgaria. But here we are not just talking about another operator licensed by national institutions, but about a leading brand worldwide. Betway is one of the largest bookmakers in Europe and globally, and the fact that it already offers its services in Bulgaria speaks positively about the development of the gambling business in the country.

Indications of an increase in the size of the industry appeared last year, when several operators received a permit to operate under Bulgarian jurisdiction. It is unlikely that this process will end with the official launch of betway bulgaria, rather the brand entering the country can be perceived by international operators as a positive assessment of the market in Bulgaria. What can we find at Betway besides the obvious – increased competition and of course more choice for consumers?

What do we find in the sports section?

Sports betting – this is the leading sector of the company, which started operations in 2006. The brand is associated with a number of teams in Europe such as Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Leicester, Alaves, Belenenses, Werder, etc. Of course, the top championships in Europe are present in the latest betting platform, but that’s not all. Betway offers the opportunity to make predictions at less popular UEFA championships. The fans of the Bulgarian championship have options too. All matches of the First League are present in the bookmaker’s menu, and are offered with dozens of choices for each of them.

Real-time bets and long-term combinations

Live bets are a big thrill for many players. This option is present at Betway, and this also applies to the mobile version, of course. It is not difficult to detect current events – they come first when loading the platform. And with them the bookmaker really comes up with interesting offers, some of which are rare on the Bulgarian market. The outcome of the bets become clear in literally seconds if the next goal market or one of the performance options is selected.

In addition, the company accepts predictions with a much longer horizon. It is now standard to bet on who will be the champion in England, Spain, Italy or Germany. However, there are also specific markets and selections for certain teams – will Barcelona take the trophy this season, will Liverpool reach the final in at least one of the tournaments in which it participates, etc. And if users don’t find what they’re looking for in these offers, they can always turn to the betting menu. The bet-builder is still limited to one match, from which we can choose two or more selections until the desired odds are formed. This is the most appropriate way to optimize the bet according to personal preferences and therefore it is increasingly preferred by the players.

Betway’s first steps on the Bulgarian market are impressive. And this is just the beginning, we can expect even more in the near future.

Bulgaria

Online gaming revenues surge in Bulgaria

Published

6 years ago

December 5, 2018

George Miller

Online gaming revenues surge in Bulgaria Reading Time: 1 minute

The Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry’s (BTAMOI) reports that the country’s online gaming revenues showed a growth in the last financial year. The industry paid €57 million in taxes to government, which corresponds to a 17 per cent rise year on year. BTAMOI said in a press release: “For the period 2017/2018 the gaming industry in Bulgaria has shown very good results at national level, based on the country’s upward economic performance.”

The online gambling segment in Bulgaria represents about 10 per cent of the country’s total gambling market. The segment posted a revenue of €89 million in the nine months to September 30, a spike of 30 per cent compared to the figure same time last year.

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network