Hills and Betfair apply for Greek online monopoly rights
RGA remains critical of Greek government's decision to grant OPAP a sole operating licence
Betfair and William Hill have applied for a licence to run online gambling operations in Greece, in an bid to break the monopoly of Greek operator OPAP.
The two Gibraltar-licensed operators have put forward applications for five-year licences to the Greek State, the Minister of Finance and the Hellenic Gambling Commission, in an attempt to challenge OPAP’s current monopoly in the country.
Both firms are members of the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which in May filed a joint complaint to the European Commission with the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) regarding Greek regulation.
The complaint criticised the Greek Government’s plans to extend OPAP’s land-based monopoly to the online sector, arguing it was in breach of EU law.
Although the Greek Gambling Act enables operators to apply for online licences, the RGA believes the Government infringes Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by preventing any other operator from being given a full licence.
Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the RGA, said the Greek Government was being “very short sighted” and that it would challenge its failure to open up the country’s online gambling market.
“In the absence of constructive progress to introduce an open, transparent and fair online gambling regime, our members have made it clear that the RGA should use all efforts at its disposal…in order to get to a legal, clear, workable and fair resolution,” Hawkswood said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Betfair declined to comment on the matter.