GTECH wins OPAP online sports betting contract
Supplier fights off competition from Playtech, Openbet and 888 to overhaul OPAP's sportsbook before this 2014 World Cup
Greek gambling monopoly OPAP has selected GTECH as its partner to launch an egaming business, starting with an online sports betting site.
The announcement follows a closed tender process featuring five companies, believed to have included GTECH, Playtech, Openbet and 888.
Despite recent rumours Playtech were set to be awarded the contract, OPAP this afternoon confirmed in a statement GTECH’s selection and that the partnership will “initially be focused on online sports betting”.
OPAP told eGaming Review that launching in time for this year’s FIFA World Cup was “wishful thinking” however said it would be up and running for next season’s domestic football competition at the latest.
The company said it could not confirm whether other products such as casino and poker in partnership with GTECH would follow.
The news brings to an end a prolonged process in which OPAP initially selected GTECH as its egaming supplier in July 2012. A period of “discussions” followed before the tender was relaunched at the start of this year.
Late last year the operator’s new chief executive Kamil Ziegler, appointed after private equity firm Emma Delta completed its privatisation with the purchase of a 33% last November, confirmed it wished to renegotiate some supplier contracts as part of cost cutting measures designed to restructure it going forward.
The contract represents a coup for GTECH given its monopolistic position in the Greek gambling market.
In 2012 the Greek ministry of finance submitted a bill which would see OPAP maintain a monopoly across all online betting until 2020, contradicting the regulator’s plans to begin a limited licensing process.
A spokesperson for GTECH refused to comment on this story.