Svenska Spel, the Swedish state-owned lottery and gambling operator, recently revealed plans to invest over 15 million euros over the next five years in setting up Internet-based lotteries in the Baltics.
Winloto, a joint venture between Svenska Spel and Lithuanian gaming company Olifeja, will commence operations in Lithuania on March 6, offering products from Svenska Spel's interactive portfolio (the well known scratch ticket game "Triss," for example).
Svenska Spel, the majority shareholder, developed the technology and will oversee matters related to responsible gambling. The company says the games and services offered adhere strictly to Lithuanian gaming legislation and licenses.
Olifeja is the largest Lithuanian lottery operator, controlling approximately 84 percent of the national market. As of the end of 2005, the company offered games such as keno, instant tickets and lotto at around 1,500 outlets throughout the country.
Olifeja is organized by the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania and is the first Lithuanian lottery operator to offer real-money games online.
CEO Antanas Muraka is pleased with the results so far.
"We are excited to be live with the new site and the initial response from the public has been extremely encouraging," Muraka said. "We are looking forward to growing our business online."
Olifeja chose EGET, the Finland-based supplier of gaming services and solutions, for the expansion of its lottery operation to digital channels and delivered a complete Internet and mobile gaming solution that runs on EGET's EnterGainment platform.