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OPAP Still Strong

The Greek gambling monopoly has been under a lot of criticism over the past several years because of the country’s laws that allegedly contravene EU policies that state that all EU member-states must allow the free trade of goods and services. Several countries, Greece included, are under the impression that the trade laws of the EU apply to every industry except for the online casinos. That just doesn’t sit well with the European Commission and Greece has been in negotiations with the Commission for several years now – all to very little avail. Recent movements within the management structure at OPAP have the European Commission reexamining Greece’s online casino gambling and betting policies – and their not liking what they’re finding.

OPAP is one of the largest land and online casino betting gambling monopolies in Europe and the bulk of the company is owned and operated out of Greece. OPAP exclusively serves the Greek gambling industry and Greek laws forbid Greek gamblers from using foreign online casinos and betting companies for their gambling needs. This practice is under the most scrutiny as many European gambling groups have requested the right to enter and compete within the Greek market. OPAP holds the exclusive market for Greece for another decade, and presumably no foreign online and land betting competition can enter the market until 2020.

The Greek government is hugely reliant on the tax revenues that come in from OPAP and the government has no current plans to alter the online casino gambling monopoly. In fact, Greek authorities continue to enforce the gambling laws by fining foreign companies and forcing them out of the betting and gambling market. There is no indication that the Commission’s negotiations with Greek officials have had any sort of positive effect on the nation’s gambling laws.