Poker News – As the Greek Organization of Football Prognostics (OPAP) announced its decision to focus on the creation of a new online sports betting platform in cooperation with GTECH, the risk of Greece running the next online poker monopoly in Europe is now considerably thinner.
Although many thought Greece’s government could opt to close its market to international operators in 2014 and put a brand new monopoly in OPAP’s hands, the decision to focus on sports betting and not on poker is a game changer that is going to keep the country’s market open for a while longer.
Even if the idea of regulating Greece’s online gambling market with the establishment of a monopoly was initially challenged in court by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) in November 2011, the European Commission granted provision authority in January 2013 for OPAP to develop sports betting, casino, and also poker platforms as per an agreement signed with the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP).
As for today, and until when OPAP will decide to jump in the online poker world and use the rights of managing the monopoly (virtually) established by the agreements signed with Greece’s gambling authorities, the country will keep running in a “transitional phase,” with 24 temporarily licensed operators offering games under a .GR domain.
Among the companies directly involved in the issue, are the Rational Group, the company behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, that has been offering online poker to Greek residents through its PokerStars.GR and FullTiltPoker.GR domains as for a commercial agreement signed with Diamond Link, one of the 24 temporary licensees.
