Polish state gaming operator dismisses vice president amid controversy
Totalizator Sportowy has dismissed Szymon Gawryszczak following media scrutiny.
Poland.- Szymon Gawryszczak has been dismissed as a vice president at Poland’s state-owned lottery and gaming operator Totalizator Sportowy amid mounting controversy. Gawryszczak, who had served as Vice President of the Management Board overseeing sales and marketing since 2024, had initially been suspended in April amid a drawn-out series of public allegations.
Media accusations against Gawryszczak included claims of conflicts of interest and the use of political connections to undermine opponents of the now-defunct centre-right Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) party, which was chaired by former prime minister Donald Tusk until its dissolution in 2025. In March 2025, Wirtualna Polska published an investigation linking him to a social media page disseminating PO-related propaganda. A subsequent article alleged that Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) had examined his assets and flagged irregularities in financial declarations.
The operator says its decision was independent of press reports. For his part, Gawryszczak has rejected the allegations. In comments made on LinkedIn, he claimed the Wirtualna Polska report relied on inaccurate information and said the CBA had corrected errors in its initial findings.
He said: “The CBA did not find any conflicts of interest, no financial gain and no action to the detriment of Totalizator Sportowy. The prosecutor’s office conducted a verification procedure and handed the files back to the CBA. The Supervisory Board – the same body that suspended me – publicly stated that the media allegations were not related to the content of the CBA’s post-audit conclusion.”
Gawryszczak claimed that he was the target of an orchestrated campaign and linked criticism to his defense of Totalizator Sportowy’s monopoly on online casino gaming in Poland.
“I also can’t help but notice a certain correlation. The more often I spoke publicly about the value of the state’s monopoly on online casinos, about the billions that go to the budget and help finance Polish sport, and about why the state should maintain a strong position, the more intense the attacks on me became. I leave this observation without comment.”
While Poland has competitive sports betting, both land-based casino and online casino gaming is subject to state monopoly provisions. Lotteries are also operated exclusively by the Totalizator Sportowy.
The operator has opened applications for a new Vice President of Marketing and Sales, with a deadline of June 15.
