Odds rise against Net punters
A website owner was arrested in Athens yesterday for acting as a middleman for locals placing a bet with British betting companies, as the government steps up efforts to curb illegal gambling by also targeting punters. Police said the male suspect, aged 37, was operating a website from his company in Piraeus, southern Athens, that hooked up visitors with five different betting companies, mainly in Britain. The suspect, who launched the site in 2001, is believed to have pocketed around 60,000 euros in commission per month for his efforts. Police said that it was the first arrest of its kind in Greece. Locals are being drawn to foreign betting companies by better odds and the ability to bet in real time, while the sporting event is taking place. Greek law specifies that only state-controlled gaming company OPAP can accept wagers in Greece and that placing a bet with anyone else – even electronically – is illegal. «The monopoly in set betting will continue to exist,» a senior source from the electronic crimes squad told Kathimerini. «With the exception of England, all EU member states are in favor of a monopoly for financial reasons and for also helping to avoid criminal practices,» he added. The loss of tax and licensing revenues for the state has prompted the crackdown on offenders, while OPAP is also seeing its market share shrink. OPAP has started targeting newspapers and other forms of media that carry ads from British betting firms by suing the press organization. A police source said yesterday that even punters will be charged in a bid to cut demand for the betting services.
