HRADF Asks OPAP to Up Purchase Offer

The latest reports from the Greek market involve news that the Greek privatisation agency HRADF wants the domestic gambling monopoly OPAP which appears to be the only bidder, to boost its purchase offer for a 12-year exclusive license that will extend to online activity. When it presented its binding offer together with its gaming technology partners Intralot, Lottomatica and Scientific Games on Dec. 10, OPAP stated that "The new financial offer will be evaluated by HRADF's board of directors at its next meeting on Wednesday" – and this new request represents the result of the meeting. However, such plan faces severe opposition from international online gambling groups which called it 'a disgrace'. One group was particularly severe in its assessment of the request - Sportingbet plc, which stated: “It is scandalous that the Greek ministry of finance is planning to award OPAP an extension of its monopoly. What is particularly galling is the fact OPAP's incumbent hand has been strengthened as the monopoly now covers not only the offline arena but also the e-gaming space as well. “This is a disgrace and the Greek government should be ashamed with how this has been allowed to happen.” However, it added that it will remain in the Greek market for now. This is also potentially bad news for 24 online gambling firms which have signed interim licenses to operate in Greece, as the monopoly deal with OPAP will require them to exit the Greek market. Commenting on the move, the Remote Gaming Association, a trade body that represents many of Europe's top online gambling firms, noted that “There can be no justification for extending OPAP's monopoly to cover nearly every aspect of online gambling. We have urged the Greek government to reconsider and have called on the European Commission to take action if it does not, because this move is a blatant breach of EU process and EU law.”