Sazka Group launches bid to run Turkish national lottery
Czech operator aiming to build on Greek dominance with latest tender offer
Czech online gambling and sports betting operator Sazka Group has launched a bid to run the Turkish National Lottery, Milli Piyango.
According to reports in the Turkish press, the Czech operator has become the second firm to declare its interest in running the Milli Piyango franchise, after Turkish internet firm Doğan Online also confirmed its interest.
The Turkish Sovereign Wealth Fund, which controls Milli Piyango, confirmed that a tender process had begun in June, indicating that it had already attracted interest from several operators.
If successful, Sazka Group will receive a 10-year service contract to run the Turkish national lottery, with revenues being shared between it and the Turkish Sovereign Wealth Fund.
The formal tender process is expected to close at the end of 2019.
The tender offer is the group’s second big move into the region in the space of a few weeks, following its multi-million-euro takeover bid for Greek online lottery and video lottery terminal provider OPAP earlier this month.
The Turkish government has previously attempted to privatise Milli Piyango on several occasions without success.
In 2017 a prior tender process for the brand was scrapped, with the Turkish government confirming it would be replaced with a larger privatisation tender process which would include betting on horseracing within the concession.
Sazka Group’s gambling portfolio spans Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria, Italy and Croatia, through brands including Casinos Austria and LOTTO ITALIA. The operator recently submitted a separate tender bid for Italy’s Enalotto lottery concession.
Sazka’s portfolio of brands extends to Greece, Austria and Italy in addition to its native Czech market operations