Greek online gambling licenses available next month?

Reports from Greece indicate that after months or dithering, clashes with the European Commission and manoeuvres designed to enhance the sales value of its share in OPAP (see previous reports) the government is finally about to sort out its online gambling licensing debacle.

Our readers may recall the uproar among operators in 2011 when the Greeks issued 24 online gambling licenses, only to suspend them within a year to protect government’s hefty stake in the OPAP gambling group, which had been put up for sale.

It appears from pronouncements by Trifon Alexiadis, the Greek deputy minister of finance, that the government is now squared away in terms of new regulations which will allow the issue of hopefully more permanent licensing this time around, with applications probably opening next (October) month, according to media reports.

The new licensing regime will be supported by tough enforcement activity which has already commenced – there are almost 900 websites listed on a Hellenic Gaming Commission blacklist and ISP-blocked, with doubtless more will follow.

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