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More Greek Online Gambling Arrests
 April 20, 2007, 3:54 am (4 years ago)This week, three internet cafй owners and also six of their players were actually reported to be under arrest in a part of Western Greece that is known as Arta, this is following raids that were made by the Greek Police. It is claimed by the authorities that the illegal online betting was actually taking place at three different venues, which had actually been installed gambling type software that was offering foreign based online betting on games at an unspecified UK bookie.
These arrests came during a week that the British gambling group William Hill had actually voiced an intention to actually challenge the Greek government monopoly if its application for a betting license was not granted and was turned down. Greece which is a member of the European Union, is now subject to the requirements of the unions free passage for trade and services from other EU states policy.
Gambling in Greece is actually a preserve of the OPAP, in which the actual government has interests as well. Sotiris Kostakos, who is the president of OPAP, did not mince his words a bit in the responding to the news of the arrests, he told reporters, “the only company with the right to operate betting in Greece is OPAP. Some people are getting rich unlawfully while the Greek state hemorrhages”.
When you take into consideration what OPAP has said, the illegal betting market in Greece is actually equal in value to the state monopoly, or what is roughly EURO one point four billion. OPAP is Greece’s only officially sanctioned betting organization. OPAP had actually threatened earlier to prosecute Greek residents who try to circumvent its services and bet directly with foreign gaming companies online. Last month a Piraeus man was detained for similar offences.
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