EC told to prevent OPAP online monopoly
The Remote Gambling Association mounts challenge to Greece's plan to extend operator's land-based monopoly to online gambling products.
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) has called on the European Commission to block plans by the Greek Government to allow state-owned operator OPAP a monopoly over certain online gambling products until 2020.
Greece’s plans to extend OPAP’s monopoly were confirmed last week when the Ministry of Finance wrote to the European Commission proposing changes to its gambling laws which would see the operator hold exclusivity for online gaming including sports betting and other gambling products such as casino and cash poker.
Under the proposals only licences for “milder” forms of gambling such as live casino and poker tournaments would be available in the country.
The RGA argues that the Greek government is attempting to protect OPAP’s share price in the build up to the sale of its 34% stake in the operator. “Unfortunately they have to distort the market and contravene European law to do so”, it said in a statement today.
Clive Hawkswood, CEO of the lobby group, added: “Having received notification that the Greek Government intends to extend what has already been declared an illegal monopoly to online gambling products, the ball is in the Commission’s court.
“The Greek Government has granted an exclusive right to OPAP and that infringes Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). As defenders of the Treaty we believe that the Commission must act now to prevent Member States from undermining it. While Greece continues to support OPAP’s monopoly, the Greek people would benefit from additional choice and better value if the remote gambling market is opened up.”
Whether or not the EC will approve or object Greece’s proposals is unclear. It has already received several complaints from the RGA which has highlighted that the Greek Gambling Act, first drafted in 2011, is in breach of EU competiveness laws.
Moreover, The European Court of Justice has also ruled that the Greek government is in breach of EU law, which prohibits national rules granting exclusive rights to a single operator and reducing the number of gambling options available to residents.
In a case filed by Stanleybet, William Hill and Sportingbet “ all of which have or had a presence in the Greek market “ the Court ruled that the legislation enacted to justify OPAP’s expansion and the public promotion of its products went “far beyond” what is necessary to channel consumers towards the controlled provision of gambling services.
Last year the EC published its Action Plan on Online Gambling, which proposed to act against those regulatory regimes which fail to comply with EU law, and in November the RGA called on the EC to “act quickly and decisively” against such non-compliant regimes.