Press Releases

Scratchcard lottery mania grips Bulgaria

Published

6 years ago

July 3, 2018

Armed with a coin, 96-year-old Stoyan Stoimenov from the small village of Tsurkva outside Sofia hunches over and tries his luck on yet another scratchcard.

“I tell myself: ‘I will win again.’ It’s not very likely but who knows,” he says, winking.

Stoimenov is just one of thousands of Bulgarians who have been gripped by a craze for scratchcards in recent years in the EU’s poorest member state, with some now raising the alarm over the dangers of widespread addiction.

In February, Stoimenov won 5,000 leva (2,500 euros, $3,000) — roughly 25 times his monthly pension — and distributed his prize among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

They thanked him by giving him more scratchcards for his 96th birthday on May 6.

In the small cafe where Stoimenov won his prize, the tables are full of fellow gamblers.

“I sell more scratchcards than anything else,” the girl at the counter says.

Critics say that the law has not kept pace with the explosion of scratchcard gambling, with even children allowed to participate with no age restriction.

“I play from time to time but there’s a boy in my class who does nothing but buy scratchcards,” says 10-year-old Denislav, while buying a two-leva ticket with his daily lunch money.

According to an expert study, commissioned by a government body in July 2016 in Bulgaria’s northwest — the EU’s poorest region — 10 percent of high school students buy scratchcards every day and 11 percent buy them once a week.

– Alarm over ‘epidemic’ –

According to an estimate by Bulgaria’s Capital financial weekly, 100 million scratchcards were sold in 2017 in a country of less than seven million people.

And a Gallup poll carried out in April estimated that 57 percent of Bulgarians participate in some form of gambling. The country is thought by experts to have the second biggest gambling industry in the EU behind Malta.

Adding to the lucrative nature of the business is the fact that the industry enjoys lower tax rates than, for example, tobacco concerns, and Bulgaria is the only EU country where the law doesn’t require lottery companies to donate a certain portion of their profits to good causes.

Some politicians are now pushing for action to curb the phenomenon.

Tsvetan Tsvetanov, deputy chief of the ruling GERB party, warns of “an epidemic among adolescents and people of low social status”.

The gaps in current legislation are illustrated by the rules for gambling advertising.
TV ads for lotteries and scratchcards are technically banned but broadcasters are allowed to show interviews with winners, who enthuse about their prizes of up to 200,000 leva and talk about how they buy a ticket every day with their morning coffee.

The proliferation of scratchcards in cafes, grocery shops and newspaper stands has led Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov to claim that “churches are the only place where you can’t find them”.

Earlier this year, Simeonov proposed changes to gambling laws which are now awaiting parliamentary approval.
They would bring in a ban on announcing lottery draws, prizes or winners on television, as well as banning the sale of scratchcards to minors, and restricting sales to special kiosks.

– ‘Assassination of sport’ –

But the push to toughen up gambling laws has run into some powerful opponents.

The KRIB, Bulgaria’s employers’ federation, has proposed a watered-down version of the changes that would only oblige TV channels to run warnings about the risk of addiction.

KRIB has said it fears Simeonov’s changes would have “grave consequences” for the media and for sports clubs, as well as the 177,000 people employed in the gambling industry.
According to data from Nielsen Admosphere, gambling companies were the biggest advertisers on Bulgarian television in 2017.

The Bulgarian Football Union has also expressed its staunch opposition, reflecting the fact that clubs get much of their sponsorship money from online betting platforms.

Bulgarian football star Hristo Stoichkov — who has himself appeared in ads for online gambling platforms — has been a vocal defender of the industry, going so far as to claim that plans to curb it would mean “the assassination of sport”.

Source: AFP

Source: Press Releases Published on European Gaming Media Network

Related Topics:Bulgaria gambling industry in Europe Hristo Stoichkov lotteries Scratchcard Scratchcard lottery

George Miller

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Bulgaria

SOFTSWISS Gets Certification for Its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria

Published

2 months 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.

Latest News

Are slots losing popularity?

Published

1 year ago

October 3, 2023

George Miller

What are the most popular games? What iGaming providers have achieved the greatest success? SOFTSWISS, an innovative company providing a complete ecosystem of comprehensive software solutions, shares valuable insights across regional markets.

The analysis presented is based on the Game Aggregator data spanning the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023.

Europe

Slot games remain popular in Europe, even though they lost around five p.p. during H2 2022 and H1 2023. Despite this decline, their market share still exceeds 80% among the other gaming categories. In contrast, card games improved their position by almost four p.p.

The top five most popular game categories underwent minor changes in Q2 2023. The Total Bets Sum in Craps games saw a substantial increase, growing 2.7 times in comparison to the previous quarter. This boost in performance secured the fifth position for this type of games in the top rankings, displacing casual games.

Gates of Olympys, Big Bamboo and Midas Golden Touch emerged as some of the most popular games during the past year. Notably, the landscape of top games exhibited significant variations from quarter to quarter.

In the European gaming sector of 2022-2023, top-performing game providers include Amatic, Amusnet (EGT), BGaming, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, Push Gaming, and Relax Gaming. Their positions in the rankings experienced subtle shifts from quarter to quarter.

Asia

The top five most popular game categories in Asia have exhibited a consistent trend since the final quarter of 2022. Slot games hold a prominent position in the asian gaming landscape, with their market share exceeding 80% compared to other categories.

Gates of Olympys claimed the title of the most popular game in Asia in Q4 2022, and has maintained its leading position since. Meanwhile, another popular game, Bonanza Billion, has experienced fluctuations in its rankings within the top five since the end of the previous year. The Total Bets Sums of Aviator increased twofold during the first half of this year, propelling the game into a leadership position. In contrast, the once-popular game, Hot Fruits, lost its foothold in the top rankings during the second quarter of 2023.

As for the most successful game providers in Asia, it should be noted that Evolution, Pragmatic Play and BGaming have continually jostled for positions within the top five over the past four quarters under review. Play’n Go and Amatic ceded their places in the rankings to 1spin4win and Amusnet (EGT), with the latter heading the list in Q2 2023.

Tatyana Kaminskaya, Head of SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, comments: “The popularity of the Aviator game can be explained by simple interface and fast payouts. What sets it apart even further is its distinctive gameplay mechanics, which significantly differ from other crush games in the market. Notably, Aviator provides players with the illusion of “control” over the game, adding an extra level of excitement and intrigue.”

Latin America

The top five of the most popular game categories in LatAm have remained consistent over the last year, with almost 60% of these categories dominated by slots.

The current top five most popular games are as follows:

Roleta Brasileiri – 8.27%
Aviator – 5.97%
Gates of Olympus – 5.24%
Sweet Bonanza – 3.44%
Crazy Time – 3.14%

Notably, Aviator surged to the top in Q4 2022, experiencing a significant increase in the Total Bets Sum, nearly 170 mln euro more in comparison with the previous quarter. This success propelled its provider, Spribe, from the tenth place in Q3 2022 to the fourth in Q2 2023, displacing Play’n GO from the top five. Other providers, specifically Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Playtech, and BGaming, remained in the top with minor shifts in their rankings over the past year.

The top five most popular games account for approximately 25% of the Total Bets Sum across all games in Latin America, while in Europe and Asia the same covers around 10%. Another noteworthy market trend is the displacement of slots with roulette, and the growing preference for live games.

Carla Dualid, Regional Business Development Manager at SOFTSWISS in LatAm, comments: “Players in Latin America in the context of online gambling may differ from players in Europe in several ways. Most Latin American players bet through mobile devices and prefer online play. Local casino slot players tend to place small but regular bets, which distinguishes them from European online casino players, who, in turn, bet less frequently, but wager larger sums on slots. Speaking about the LatAm market, we should keep in mind that Brazil is the most active player in it. Such factors as economic potential, increasing Internet penetration, mobile accessibility, and regulatory changes are making the Brazilian market more attractive for operators.”

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international iGaming company supplying certified software solutions for managing gambling operations. The expert team, which counts 1,400 employees, is based in Malta, Poland, Georgia, and Belarus. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.

iGaming

Hop into Fun and Prizes with Easter Plinko Slot: Unleash the Easter Magic!

Published

1 year ago

July 14, 2023

George Miller

Easter is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by hopping into the exciting world of Easter Slot Plinko? Get ready to unleash the Easter magic with this thrilling slot game that promises fun, prizes, and endless entertainment. Whether you’re a seasoned slot player or new to the game, Easter Plinko Slot offers an unforgettable experience that will leave you craving for more.

Discover the Charm of Easter Plinko Slot

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Easter Plinko Slot is designed to cater to players of all skill levels, ensuring that everyone can have a fantastic time. Whether you’re a casual player looking for some lighthearted entertainment or a high roller seeking big wins, this slot game has something for everyone.

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