Greece going ahead with gaming law?

The new law for gaming machines in Greece may be voted on in the Greek Parliament as early as next week. According to InterGame's contacts in the Greek market, none of the suggestions made by the European Union authorities have been incorporated into the bill in order to make it EU compatible.

According to our information, which would involve the Greek government in paying further penalties to the EU in addition to those already imposed for its non-cooperation. We understand that what is proposed in the Greek bill is that there should be 35,000 gaming machines permitted but the type or specifications are not defined. It is proposed that 15,000 of the machines should be operated by the national lottery, the OPAP, and another 1,500 by the ODIE, the horse racing authority. The remaining machines would be operated following a tender process. This would undoubtedly involve infringements of the EU anti-monopoly regulations.

Amusement machines and the use of internet for amusement purposes would be permitted and a committee would be appointed to approve the games. All of the games would be online to the tax authorities so that their income and the necessary taxes would be assessed.

A spokesman for Olympic, a major Greek operator, commented: "If this bill is implemented into law then every machine currently on the market would have to be taken out of service immediately as the penalties would be severe. If a player is caught playing a gambling device which is not one of the approved ones, then they risk a fine of €100,000 along with 10 years in jail. If a tourist should go into an internet café and log on to an amusement game on a site which is not approved, then the tourist is in danger of going to prison. If they have an account with a foreign betting company and seek to place a bet on it through the internet then they risk 10 years in prison."

Kallinikidis Aggelos, president of the OSIPE trade association, adds: "In 2006, the European Court of Justice ruled that the previous law 3037/2002, which abolished the use of amusement games acted against European guidelines, which led to the fact that the Greek government had to pay a one-off and monthly penalty fee and forced the government to change the law.

"The Ministry of Finances submitted on April 6, 2011, the draft law on regulation of the gaming market to the TRIS organisation of the European Union. Our association (OSIPE) is not satisfied with the new draft law and submitted its disagreement together with Euromat on June 6, 2011, to TRIS.

"The decision by TRIS was expected on July 6, 2011. OSIPE believes that the TRIS decision for the new draft law which was submitted by the Greek government will not get approval and will force the Greek side to improve it."

The Greek industry is rebelling strongly against what it sees as a bid to destroy the industry completely. The Greek government is considered to be rushing the bill through parliament quickly in the knowledge that under European law it is illegal, but it seeks to fulfil its own interests.