Czech gaming operator bids for Turkish lottery tender

The online gambling operator from the Czech Republic is interested in running the Turkish National Lottery.

Turkey.- Czech company Sazka Group, one of the leading sports betting and lottery operators in Europe, has announced that it will bid for the Turkish National Lottery tender. The company that wins the tender will be responsible for running the lottery for 10 years.

Sazka Group currently operates in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria and Italy. If the company wins the tender, it would operate the lottery for a period of 10 years, as current regulations establish.

Local media had reported earlier this week that Doğan Online was also interested in the lottery and it had been for a while. However, a public statement from the group reads that that news does not reflect the truth and that at the moment there are no plans for the company to participate in the tender for the Turkish National Lottery.

The Turley Assets Fund (TVF), which collects bids for the tender of the lottery, said that the evaluation still continues. It is expected that the process will be finished by the end of the year when the new operator will be announced.

Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), the entity that holds the rights of the National Lottery, said earlier this year that they’re interested in raising the lottery’s annual revenues from 0.1% of the gross national product (GNP), to 1% to 2% of the GNP. General Manager Zafer Sönmez explained that they will take offers from the companies through an invitation method and will tender to companies with certain experience. “Our perspective is about how we can create the maximum value. We want to increase our income to over 1% by not selling the business. It has the potential to rise by up to 10 times.”