Totalizator Sportowy looks forward with video terminals

The national lottery company, Totalizator Sportowy (TS), is to spend zl. 800 million on investments in the next four years. Most of the money will be put into the creation of a video-lottery system. The company, which holds the state monopoly on lotteries, fears foreign investors who by entering the gambling sector may win over TS clients. "We have to remain attractive and video-lottery is a symbol of new solutions," said TS president Miroslaw Roguski. By 2005 TS is to spend zl. 600 million on 16,500 video-lottery terminals, by the end of 2012 some 30,200 of such terminals will be op erational. According to unofficial estimates in ten years time the company's revenue would amount to zl. 4.6 billion with a profit of zl. 1.3 billion due to new games sold via the internet, SMS or WAP. Roguski emphasized that in the face of Poland's EU membership the national lottery may need state protection, adding that Culture Minister Andrzej Celinski's plan to increase surcharges on TS to finance culture will make the lottery less popular among gamblers. Currently the national lottery pays a 20% surcharge for culture on its revenue and only 45% of collected revenue, instead of the customary 50% is spent on prizes. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) K.S.