Talks on gambling bill winding up
A dialogue on a draft law to legalize slot machines in Greece is expected to wind up by Sunday after being launched in August as part of changes to the gambling industry that will provide the government with a major boost in revenues. Modifications to the draft bill will be made next week ahead of its expected submission to Parliament in October, a Finance Ministry source said yesterday. Meanwhile, OPAP Chairman Haris Stamatopoulos said yesterday that the company’s plans to launch Internet games is a long-term process that may take some months, or longer. OPAP has met with ‘many companies’ to discuss the prospects for online games of chance, Stamatopoulos told reporters. Any decisions await the government bill that will effectively deal with the problem of unrestricted gambling in the Greek market, he said. Shares in OPAP outperformed the broader market yesterday, jumping 4.08 percent to 12.50 euros, versus a 1 percent advance on the broader market.
