Poland Withdraws Totolotek Betting License

The Polish Finance Ministry has withdrawn the local betting license from Totolotek, a Polish subsidiary of Greece’s Intralot SA, Polish gambling news report. The Athens-based mother company raised questions about the authority’s decision.

According to a report from Bloomberg news service, the Intralot’s Totolotek has been forced to suspend betting after the government raised issues with its customer loyalty program.

Intralot started bourse filing in Athens, stating that the firm intends to take “all necessary actions and measures in order to protect its rights and allow it to restore its operations”. The statement from the Intralot subsidiary informed that in their opinion the company did not break Polish gambling laws.

It reads: “The Polish Finance Ministry, the government organization responsible for gaming in the country, has decided to withdraw the betting licenses of Totolotek based on an opinion, which Totolotek considers legally unfounded, that part of its customer loyalty scheme named E-Promocja that was based on web applications, resembled an unauthorized at that time, but allowed by law since January of 2012.”

The Eastern European Intralot subsidiary now focuses on getting its license for internet betting in Poland back as soon as possible.

The company claimed: “Totolotek has always acted according to the laws and the provisions of the Finance Ministry throughout all of its 20-year operation. The company and its legal advisors consider that the loyalty scheme was in conformity with Polish law and worldwide best-business practices.”

It is not yet known if Totolotek or Intralot plan any legal action against the Polish Finance Ministry.