infoRmation panel ADULT POPULATION: .............................900,000 HOME BROADBAND: .........................20 per cent
CURRENT LEGISLATION: ..................................... Gambling Act 2009
REMOTE GAMING PERMITTED: ............................. Games of chance, lotteries, betting, games of skill.
ONLINE GAMING TAX: ......................................... 5 per cent of GGR monthly.
SIZE OF MARKET: ................................................ Unlimited
LICENCES: .......................................................... Five companies currently have licences
TOTAL GAMBLING TURNOVER: .....................¤652 TOTAL ONLINE GGR: .................................. ¤83m
REGULATORY BODY: ............................................ Estonian Tax and Customs Board Tel: ............................................+372 676 1200 Email: .........................................
emta@emta.ee Website:
.......................................www.emta.ee
5% for betting and totalisator. 5% per cent for remote gambling
The online gaming sector is growing and there is a huge increase in the popularity of casino games. But the market will never be huge. In Estonia players over the age of 21 years are permitted to access online games and the average target audience is between 21 and 35. The sector is dominated 80 per cent by male players.
Priit Pajumaa, Head of Online Operations for Olympic Casino Eesti said: “The online gaming market in Estonia is surely growing but not booming. Everyone knows the online gaming possibilities and most of the casino and poker players have tried playing online aswell.
“Currently we have a legal situation that the law enforced more than a year ago and today the authorities are monitoring how applicable the law is for operators daily use, how it interests the government and they are planning the second stage adjustments and modifications in the law.
“The authorities have been open minded for round table discussions about regulation which fulfils their interest and is also adjustable to operators work flow. The government is now making an effort to stop non-licensed online gaming but success is coming step by step. Several options have been used such as IP
blocking, bank transfers blocking, advertisement restrictions, but there’s still much to do.
“Estonian gaming law should follow the EU traditional solutions to have 18 years of age limit or successfully ban all non-licensed operators. Otherwise being licensed gives less competitiveness than offering services from abroad without a local licence.”
The gambling tax is paid into the state budget and of this 46 per cent is then transferred to the Cultural Endowment of Estonia which then supports local associations such as the Red Cross or development projects. Of this amount 63 per cent is allocated to cultural buildings, 3,9 per cent to the Red Cross, 12.7 for regional investment aid for young and elderly, 37.4 per cent for sports and education projects amongst other projects involving welfare and culture. In 2010 the gross gambling revenue amounted to €652m whilst winnings were €575m. Remote gambling bets came to €83m and winnings were €81m.
the GoveRnment is now makinG an effoRt to stop non-licensed online GaminG.
the opeRatoRs There are currently 278 licences in Estonia within the field of gambling from slots, gaming tables, lottery and remote gaming. There are five companies which currently have remote gambling licences in Estonia. Olympic Casino Eesti AS, Triogames OU (Triobet), REEL Estonia Ltd (pokerstars), IMG Kasiinod AS and Pafer AS. Commercial lottery operators are: Aktsiaselts Liviko, Amserv Grupi, AS Eesti Pagar, Osauhing Foks, Ruukki Products and Simplimo OU.
olympic casino eesti as Olympic started operating in Estonia in 1993 and today operates 17 slot casinos in Estonia in Tallinn, Tartu, Parnu, Narva and Johvi.
Olympic was already the market leader in Estonia in terms of land based casinos and has around 45 per cent of the market. The company saw a GGR in 2009 prior to the law change of €24.4m. OEG has 23 casinos/slot halls and operates a total of 19 table games and 674 slots in the country. In 2010 Olympic Casino Eesti (Estonia) saw revenues of €25.7m. In 2010 the company earned €1.3m from its remote gaming sector in Estonia.
The company teamed up with Playtech in 2009 to be the first online gaming company in Estonia. It received a licence in February 2010 and launched the first Estonian licensed online casino and poker room under the trademark of Olympic Online and via
Olympic-online.com.
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