Polish bookmaker STS Group generated a Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) in the first six months of 2022, an increase over the same period in the previous year. Financial stats released by the company on 19th July showed that the NGR had increased despite the amount wagered in the period being slightly down from 2021. The total wagered for the first six months of 2022 was €459.5 million compared to €465.8 million in 2021.
The company pointed out that the European Football Championships had taken place in quarter two of 2021, which created heightened business activity last year. In addition, they expect an upswing in wagering later this year to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, which takes place in quarter 4 of 2022.
CEO, Mateusx Juroszek said,
“In the first half of this year, we achieved very good operating results. We have slightly improved NGR – the value of amounts staked by the customers, less the winnings paid and gambling and lottery tax – compared to the same period last year.”
“It is worth noting that in 2021, EURO 2020 was played in that period. In the second half of this year, we hope that the very attractive calendar of sports events and the World Cup in Qatar will allow us to develop even better-operating indicators, which will also positively translate into financial results.”
When STS launched twenty-five years ago, its mission was to dominate the gambling market in Poland. It has achieved this, and they hold a forty-five percent share of its home country’s market. Poland has over 440 STS betting shops which can be found all over the country and in all the major cities.
In 2019 the company was granted a license by the UK Gambling Commission and began opening up to other European markets. As a result, STS says they have been very successful in the UK. This is because they cover a wide range of markets with highly competitive odds, bonuses, and attractive promotions.
Much of its recent success has been down to the expansion of its online portfolio. The company says that it is constantly improving its in-house technology platform to meet its customers’ needs. It has been implementing a mobile-first strategy for several years to benefit from this rapidly growing sector. In 2021 STS invested PLN29 million in its product portfolio and technological solutions. In 2020 it purchased seventy-four percent of the shares in Czech technology supplier Betsys.
STS has over one million customers and offers them up to four hundred different markets on the sports events they cover. While they are the dominant player in bricks-and-mortar bookies in Poland, eighty percent of their revenues come from online gambling. The EGR Power 50 list has STS ranked at number 27.
STS is not only about sports betting. They have been quick to recognize the increased popularity of online casinos in Poland. As a result, STS has dedicated resources to ensure that they offer a high-quality product and broad portfolio. Their casinos give players the choice of almost thousand five hundred games, and they continually add new titles from top software designers.
STS have also been offering customers plenty of live casino opportunities, which they have found to be popular. A live casino experience is the closest a player can get to a land-based experience when playing from home. It is not only desktop-based gaming; they have also taken advantage of improved mobile phone technology. STS has mobile versions of its sites, together with apps for both Android and iOS.
It should come as no surprise that Poland’s leading iGaming company also offers eSports fans plenty of opportunities to wager on this increasingly popular spectator pass time. For some time, the Polish city of Katowice has been the eSports capital of Europe. This is where the Intel Extreme Masters is held annually, and Polish fans like to have a wager on their favorite team or player.
