LegalniBukmacherzy.pl: we want to educate players

How has the bookmaking industry changed in Poland over the years and how is it shaping up today?

The biggest change that turned the bookmaking market upside down was the regulation of the Gambling Act of 2017. It forced operators to adapt to the new regulations and imposed a gaming tax, which reduced the gray zone and increased revenues to the State Budget. At the same time, since 2017 we have observed great dynamics in this sector. Some operators had to withdraw, others strengthened their position.

The development of the online environment and the transfer of activities to the Internet were also very important. Betting points are still popular, but especially younger users are much more willing to use the services offered online. Just a few years ago, only a few bookmakers competed for a Polish player. Currently, foreign suppliers are increasingly interested in our market. This, in turn, causes players to be showered with bonuses and various types of promotions. Our role is to help the user navigate this mass of information.

How does the Polish market differ from foreign markets?

First of all, a Polish player must actually pay 12% at the very beginning. tax on the bet placed. This is the highest rate among European countries. For example, in Germany it is 5 percent and in Austria 2 percent. In most countries, players are not charged any fees at all, and bookmaker companies pay tax on revenues less paid winnings (GGR).

The market has long been calling for a switch to this form of paying state levies. The law in Poland is very restrictive also because we only have one online casino – the state monopoly, Totalizator Sportowy. The lack of competition in this sector results in the persistence of quite a large gray zone and, at the same time, an increase in the importance of the bookmaking market.

So what does the competition for customers look like?

There are plenty of bonuses mentioned above: from the first bet, through the so-called “risk-free” bets, i.e. refund in case of loss, to offers without deposit. Operators also compete with each other in various types of Christmas and birthday promotions, “Lewandowski’s goal” or Iga Świątek’s winning match. What also counts is the speed of withdrawals or placing a bet, a hit application, but also a star face in advertising.

And this is where LegalniBukmacherzy comes in. We are here to, if necessary, guide the player by the hand and compare offers in a transparent way, ensuring safety and comfort of the game. Show that additional conditions are often hidden under the guise of a great-sounding advertisement. We want to educate players so that they approach bookmakers’ offers as consciously as possible.

It is also worth noting that more and more operators place emphasis on maintaining the principles of responsible gaming. Betting should be fun and a form of spending free time for adults. It is worth noting, however, that there are organizations in Poland to which you can contact for help if you feel any discomfort related to this form of entertainment.

How important is technology to the bookmaking industry? Have mobile applications revolutionized the market?

Absolutely. Currently 80 percent users use mobile applications. That is why bookmakers invest so much in the development of technology, diversifying their product with additional functionalities or the ability to watch sports broadcasts.

Just a dozen or so years ago, to place a bet, you had to go to a living room, write out a coupon, hand it over to the staff, and then check the results on some teletext. Then betting moved to the Internet. And that was the first revolution. Another one are apps, which allow you to use the operators’ offers by swiping your finger across the phone screen.

How do you think the industry will evolve?

With such dynamics of change, we can expect anything. Just a few years ago, no one thought that artificial intelligence would revolutionize the labor market so much. On the one hand, the bookmaking industry will certainly move in this direction, and algorithms will generate sports analyzes or tips for the player. On the other hand, in the era of AI development, the voice of experts is important.

If you enter the command: generate an effective betting coupon for me, consisting of 3 basketball matches, taking into account statistics from the last quarter, you will certainly receive a quite reliable hint. However, apart from statistics, it is the human factor that counts, as well as knowledge, sometimes at the last minute, regarding team composition, weather or any information that may affect the result of the match.

What exactly does the website focus on and who is it addressed to?

Our role is primarily to help the player find his way in the world of bookmaking. We analyze all operators’ activities and present them to users in a clear way. We create various types of rankings, reviews of bookmakers, and compare their offers.

Every year we also prepare a Bookmaker Awards gala, during which we select the best, in our opinion, operators in several different categories: from bonuses for players, through betting offers in various disciplines, to mobile applications and marketing activities. We employ experts in their fields who propose their picks every day, present current promotions and analyze sports results.

Our website www.legalnibukmacherzy.pl is an expert portal where you can find information on how to play safely and legally, but also on how to take advantage of the offer and what to pay attention to.

It is a common belief that the bookmaking industry is a male-dominated domain, is this really the case?

Yes. Perhaps because women take risks less often than men, and the risk is closely related to bookmaking. Sports and betting still have a man’s face. They are the ones who dominate the stands, they are screaming their heads off in the stadiums, they are the ones who can count the lineup of the local team from 1994 from memory. They are the ones we see in commercials, when the wife calls to the kitchen during key football matches, they are the ones drinking beer with their friends during the match, they are the ones bookmakers’ offers are addressed to them. However, this is slowly changing. More and more women are passionate about sports.

In our internal company predictions during the FIFA World Cup, only girls were in the top five. The group of sports experts and commentators is also constantly expanding. Moreover, working in the gaming market is more than just placing bets.

How are women building this industry?

In addition to sports analyzes and tracking changes in operators’ offers, these include contacts with customers, broadly understood marketing, including advertising activities and social media. It means taking care of the quality of content, analyzing data, measuring conversions and, above all, constantly expanding knowledge.

In such a dynamic industry, you have to be ready for changes and respond quickly to them. It’s no wonder that players can sometimes feel lost. We try to be one step ahead of them and make this task easier for them.