Ekathimerini.com reports that most of the major online gambling companies are leaving Greece. The Greek government is preparing for a major legal battles with legitimate online gambling operations, and over the terms of sale of state-run gambling agency OPAP.
A recent publication listed 401 online gambling sites that do not have operating licenses in Greece. As a result, some companies have decided to leave the market.
On its website, William Hill, mentions that it is no longer accepting Greek bets. Other companies such as Betfair, Sportingbet, Bet365, and VistaBet have followed suit.
Despite legislation and the possibility of heavy fines, a number of sites such as 888Sport, 10Bet, and King Solomons Casino continue to operate.
The government’s persistence on eliminating online gambling has lead to clashes with those companies. Two lawsuits have been filed against the government at the European Commission’s Competition and Internal Markets directorates, and one at the country’s highest administrative court, the Greek Council of State.
If Parliament approves an amendment granting OPAP exclusive online gambling rights, European Commission’s internal markets and services commissioner, Michel Barnier, is exploring taking Greece to court.
The Greek government, in the companies’ view, is in violation of community regulations and is trying to boost OPAP’s profile. They also claim that this behavior will not help in getting rid of online gambling.
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