UK With 7,2 billion in collections, the gaming market marks a +5%
(Jamma) Members of the Remote Gambling Association have asked the Greek Ministry of Finance and the Hellenic Gaming Authority to proceed with the licensing of the online gambling sector.
In the past two years, the Greek government has been slow to implement its laws to open up the online gaming market. The Greek Gambling Act allows the granting of licenses for online gaming operators, but according to RGA, ministerial decisions and administrative measures have been taken to prevent any operator other than the OPAP from obtaining a full licence. In fact, the government has granted OPAP a monopoly to provide online gambling in Greece without express legal permission and without any tendering. This violates Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
RGA members believe that granting OPAP a monopoly is illegal. OPAP's land monopoly is contested both at a Community and national level. The granting authority in relation to the award of a specific concession must in fact respect the fundamental rules of the EC Treaties. The jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice provides for the obligation of a public procedure for the issue of gambling licenses. The treaty does not allow a public body to grant an exclusive right, such as that relating to the subject of games, without conducting a public tender that is open, proportional and transparent.
Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive of the RGA said: “The Greek government appears to be short-sighted. By granting the online monopoly to OPAP without complying with the Treaty, it risks having to compensate companies that have had a long wait to be able to obtain a concession. The government also risks having to reimburse OPAP investors who were led to believe that the group would operate as a monopoly. But above all, the Greek government is losing tax revenue from potential online operators that would have brought millions of euros into the coffers of the Greek treasury.
In the absence of an open, transparent and fair dialogue for an online gambling regime, our members have made it clear that the RGA will need to use all efforts at its disposal in order to arrive at a legal solution which is workable and clear".
