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No Immediate Prosecution

The Greek government was looking to make a point this week with the arrest of several Stanleybet employees and punters. Foreign land and online casino gambling and betting companies are outright banned from operating in the Greek market. OPAP is the government sponsored betting monopoly in the country, and despite pressure from the European Commission to alter the legislation and regulations that prevent foreign competition, the Greek government insists that it has the right to continue operating a Greek gambling monopoly. Stanleybet on the other hand is a land and online casino betting operator that is looking to test the system and force the Greek government to open up the Greek betting market.

Stanleybet opened a betting shop earlier this week in Greece despite the fact that the government has specifically noted that foreign land and online casino betting companies would be blocked. Not long after Stanleybet opened its doors and began gambling, the Greek authorities went to the shop, arrested the employees and several punters who were there betting – the police also confiscated betting paraphernalia from the shop. And though several individuals were arrested, the Greek police released all of those who were involved and is not, apparently, looking to press charges at this time.

The opening of the European gambling market to foreign online casinos is a sticky subject for many of the countries offering state-run monopolies. The case in hand is interesting because the release of those involved, particularly the employees, without any charges indicates that the Greek authorities are in a conundrum right now in terms of upholding Greek legislation about foreign online casinos and land betting shops, while also complying with their obligations under the European Union agreement.