Update GREECE GAMING MARKET
Operators currently operating in Greece may also have to pay gambling taxes on any revenues earned from Greece based customers retroactively from Jan 2010 until the new licenses are awarded. This is equivalent to a market entry fee that will have to be paid by all operators who are currently unable to be licensed in Greece.
EGBA and RGA are also concerned about the tax regime which says the government has granted OPAP the monopoly gambling operator for offline games – an extension of its existing license for an additional 10 years from 2020 to 2030. OPAP currently pays no gambling tax on its offline activities whereas online operators would have to pay 30 per cent GGR. Furthermore the law imposed a 10 per cent withholding tax on player’s winnings with online operators whereas the OPAP customers of land based services are exempt from any tax on winnings of €100 or less.
Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive of the RGA said: “We have welcomed the opening of the Greek online gambling market as a positive step. However it is paramount that any new regime is conducted in a fair and transparent fashion which follows EU rules. Where a regime is contrary to the provision of the
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treaties, challenges are unfortunately necessary and unavoidable. “We therefore look to the Commission as a guardian of the Treaties, to enforce those provisions in relation to gambling, as the European Parliament has recently requested.”
One of the most important issues for the operators which is yet to be resolved is the prospect of retrospective tax which could be claimed by the Greek Government back to January 1 2010. This needs to be resolved say RGA as it could potentially have significant fiscal issues for those considering applying for a Greek license.
The OPAP has retaliated and claim the RGA complaint is unfounded. OPAP claims that through a concession agreement from the Greek State it pays a total price which incorporates the anticipated future fee (and not tax) from the conduct of VLTs. This price over the next 20 years will reflect the 30 per cent tax others pay they say. OPAP will also pay an additional 5 per cent fee.
An OPAP Spokesman said: “In this case OPAP pre-pays the largest part of its tax obligation also undertaking the corresponding financial burden of immediately paying the relevant price. On the contrary, future competitors will not
OPAP claims that through a concession
agreement from
the Greek State it pays a total price
which incorporates the anticipated
future fee (and not tax) from the
conduct of VLTs.
This price over the next 20 years will reflect the 30 per
cent tax others pay they say. OPAP will also pay an
additional 5 per cent fee.
have to pay anything in advance but only a minimum amount compared to what is paid by OPAP and will pay a fee on the games only on the basis of the income they realise, when this happens.
“OPAP considers it a real irony that while it has contributed huge amounts to the Greek State and Greek society for a long time through taxation of its income, its sponsors, its social actions and dividends to shareholders, today it is being reproached by those who act with no control and illegally in Greece without having contributed even one Euro to the Greek economy through taxation.”
The RGA meanwhile argues that before this point there has never been the opportunity for operators to apply for a Greek license to operate and that “the current proposals do not satisfy fundamental EU internal market principals and therefore a State Aid complaint has been launched.”
Clive Hawkswood added: ”The RGA believes there are strong grounds for this State aid challenge; the taxation framework poses a serious economic disadvantage for private remote operators licensed in Greece, which requires justification and investigation by the European Commission.”
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