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Microgaming Fights Back on Unfair Greek Gambling Laws
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The Remote Gaming Association (RGA), of which Microgaming is a member, recently lodged an official complaint with the European Commission in response to Greece’s recently unveiled Gambling Law.
The RGA argues that Greece’s new tax laws totally discriminate against any foreign gambling companies giving an unfair advantage to the state-owned OPAP.
The Remote Gaming Association, which represents leading European gambling groups such as Ladbrokes and Microgaming, have claimed that Greece’s new taxation regime unfairly favor existing monopoly operator OPAP which is 34% owned by the Greek government.
Under the new regime for online gambling, OPAP will be exempt from the 30% gross profits tax on its offline land-based gambling products which includes sports betting. Online gambling operators are required to pay this tax under the new law.
The Chief Executive of the Remote Gaming Association, Clive Hawkswood, said that despite the fact that the RGA had a constructive relationship with the Greek authorities while the development of the new legislation was taking place, substantial concerns remain about the practicality and legality of the market under the terms of the new law.
Hawkswood added that they are fully aware of the fiscal pressures on the Greek authorities at the moment but that they do not justify the imposition of anti-competitive tax provision which benefit the existing monopoly gambling provider.
The new law also requires online operators to pay a 10% withholding tax on all their customers’ winnings, while OPAP land establishment winners do not have to pay taxes on winnings less than €100.
