Greek gambling reforms pass into law

The Invest in Greece package of economic reforms, which includes an overhaul of the country's gambling regulations, passed into law yesterday (30 October) after receiving approval from president Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

The bill — passed by the country’s parliament last week — will see operators permitted to continue offering Random Number Generator games, such as slots, had looked set to be prohibited under a previous draft of the law.

In addition, the bill includes a €3m licence fee for online betting, down from the previously suggested €5m. However, operators will have to pay a €2m fee, on top of the €3m, to offer other products such as casino games.

The 24 online operators who were issued temporary Greek licenses in 2011 will be allowed to continue operating under these licences until March 31, 2020, having to reapply when this certification expires.

The law — a comprehensive set of reforms meant to promote growth in Greece — also contains legislation intended to streamline environmental and planning regulations. In addition, the package includes labour reforms such as rules allowing companies to opt out of certain collective wage agreements with workers and allowing local government authorities to outsource labour to private companies.