RGA Complains About OPAP Monopoly

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission on the Greek Government's intention to extend OPAP land-based monopoly to online gambling products. As the RGA claims, the Greek Gambling Act allows for the licensing of online gambling operators but the Ministerial Decisions and administrative measures prevent any operator other than OPAP from being granted a full licence. On top of it all, the Government has granted an exclusive right to OPAP, infringing Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The RGA had also previously complained to the European Commission about the internet and payment blocking mechanisms set up to protect OPAP's monopoly. The Greek state failure to fully implement the Gambling Law of 2011 means that operators who currently have licences in other EU Member States will not be able to apply for licences in Greece until 2020 at the earliest. Clive Hawkswood, chief executive officer of the RGA, said: “We believe that the failure to offer licences for online gambling is not because of any concerns about consumer protection but is rather to ensure that from the privatisation of OPAP the Greek government gets the highest possible price for its 33 percent shareholding." "Again and again the Greek Government has failed to comply with basic EU law. As recently as Friday 1 March, they made significant revisions to the draft Law and yet these have not even been notified to the European Commission. We have written to the Commission asking them to intervene and get this latest draft notified to them in accordance with the provisions of Directive 98/34/EC," insisted Hawkswood. Expressing his attitude Hawkswood said: “Members of the RGA expect all operators to be offered a level playing field across Europe. No one could suggest that is not reasonable. In Greece we have OPAP's monopoly being protected and extended for a short term gain when in the long run the Greek people will benefit from additional choice and better value if the remote gambling market is opened up.”