The Greek Ministry of Finance proposed on Friday a reduction in the number of video lottery terminals (VLTs) local operator OPAP should be allowed to roll out in the country to 25,000 from the previously approved 35,000 such devices.
A bill on the matter was introduced to the Greek government on Friday, aiming to reduce exposure of customers to gambling and to make it easier for the relevant gambling authorities to monitor the industry.
OPAP currently provides sports betting and lottery services in more than 5,700 betting shops around its homeland and in the Republic of Cyprus. The operator has been trying to begin the planned roll-out of its VLTs for several years now, but hurdles of different nature have prevented it from moving forward with the plan. Under latest updates on the matter, the company is expected to roll out the gaming machines by May 2018.
In 2012, the Greek government extended OPAP’s monopoly over the operation of 13 games of chance to 2030 and granted the operator the exclusive right to manage 35,000 VLTs at its outlets until 2022. The plan was approved by the European Commission at a later date that year.