I note that your total employees – directly employed – now exceed 2,000. How do you manage to ensure that the company’s culture and ethos is maintained across a wide geographic base and with so many staff?


The key values of Olympic have been very clear and I am proud to see that our team understands and shares them entirely. Therefore, a few thousand kilometers is not a distance that could weaken these values in any way.


You are welcome to see for yourself that “Smiling a la Olympic Casino” is the way we serve our customers everywhere, be it Bratislava, Warsaw or Tallinn.


A year ago, you stated that the Groups long- term aim was to become a Global Operator. Have you made any headway to increase your footprint globally?


The economic crisis has made Olympic and our employees both stronger and more self-confident, and our ambitions have not changed. I am absolutely convinced that our business model is both viable and innovative – something that can be successfully implemented in many other markets.


We follow global developments keenly and are looking for opportunities to start a new expansion.


Also, when we spoke, you had recently launched your online gaming site – how successful has that been?


It has been doing well, and for several reasons, but from day one we have managed to keep our online gaming operations profitable, despite the tough economic situation and competition with other online casinos.


The brand awareness and business results of Olympic-Online.com are strong particularly in Estonia, our home market. The objective for the next few years is to reach a similar position in our neighboring markets, mainly in countries where Olympic Casino is well known as a trusted entertainer through our live casinos. Although the geography of our present customers is truly global, we are still only starting our online business. And it’s good to know that everything is going as planned.


Many of us saw the cynical closure of gaming in Ukraine and sympathized with the operators and staff who suddenly had their feet taken away without warning. Now, under


20


a new government, gaming is now being reconsidered in the country but can you foresee Olympic returning to Ukraine?


Yes, I fully share the feelings of operators when the decision was made back then. In a few years, Olympic had successfully established itself in Ukraine and become the benchmark for the local gaming sector. But I have said from the start that despite of this critical experience, we are still interested in the Ukraine market and in our possible return. Everything depends on specific conditions and opportunities. While by now the Ukraine laws have not changed, there are speculations that slot machines would remain banned also in the future: such a solution would not enable us to implement our well-functioning and successful entertainment concept. In all our larger Olympic Casinos, gaming tables and slot machines are integrated closely with the offering of bars, restaurants and a cultural program, including different live performers.


One aspect that we never spoke of before was the philanthropic work of Olympic Casinos. Do each of your casinos operate their own policies of choosing charities to support or is it a group decision? Which of the charitable projects have you been most proud?


We have a broader group policy, but decisions are made locally – the good old “think global, act local” still applies. We have been supporting the Olympic movement and various cultural events in many our markets for years. As for our various charitable projects, they have been targeted mainly at deprived children. The key principle is simple: our success must benefit also the community.


What are you most looking forward to in 2012?


First, we – citizens and entrepreneurs – must all expect that 2012 brings new growth for the world economy, ensuring that people have jobs and can manage.


Once it happens, next success stories will be right around the corner.


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