Poland’s state-run online casino will not be launched before the third or fourth quarter of the year, the country’s Deputy Finance Minister Piotr Walczak confirmed late last year. The politician also pointed out that Totalizator Sportowy, the national lottery operator tasked with running online casino operations, is well behind schedule on launching such operations.

Mr. Walczak’s comments came shortly after two opposition party members, Joanna Frydrych and Agnieszka Kołacz-Leszczyńska, had filed freedom of information requests compelling the Polish Ministry of Finance to provide more information on the matter.

It was last April well new gambling regulations took effect in Poland. These made it possible for international operators to apply for sports betting licenses from the Finance Ministry, but granted Totalizator Sportowy the monopoly over the operation of online casino games and several other gambling activities, both land-based and online ones.

The lottery operator was supposed to open a bidding process for a preferred supplier of content for its casino website in late August 2017. However, Minister Walczak revealed that the process was eventually opened in November. Totalizator Sportowy is yet to select who is going to supply it with the necessary software for the operation of an online casino. The operator is currently reviewing the applications received and is in talks with the bidders. It is yet unknown when the winning supplier will be announced.