OPAP has been given European Commission permission to continue their monopoly over certain services in Greece. It allows OPAP to operate 13 games of chance until 2030 and 35,000 VLTs until 2022 in exchange for what has been called an “adequate fee” that will be paid so that it receives no economic advantage. The European Union decided that by paying this fee that OPAP’s deal didn’t constitute State Aid. Commission Vice-President in charge of competition policy Joaquín Almunia commented: “Greece has cooperated fully with the Commission to ensure that OPAP will not benefit from any undue financial advantage through the prolongation of its exclusive rights and its license for video lottery terminals. The Commission has therefore approved these measures under EU state aid rules. This allows for a timely privatisation of the gambling operator.”
Bet365 will use a new mobile payment solution from Skrill after signing a deal with the online payment provider. Skrill 1-Tap gives users the chance to make quick payments with “one tap” and banishes an antiquated system that relied on re-entering login details and credit card information every time you wanted to make a payment. The service will be available on all platforms including integration into their iPhone, iPad and Android apps. David Rose, Skrill’s chief product officer, added that they’re “looking forward to launching Skrill 1-Tap with more providers over the coming weeks”.
Live dealer provider HoGaming has launched a new casino specifically designed for tablets. It will give players the chance to play roulette, blackjack and baccarat whilst enjoying a live dealer experience that is enhanced thanks to the “rollout of 4G networks by telecommunications companies”. The company CEO Peter Kjaer added that the firm will “present a full mobile solution for smartphones” later in this quarter and it follows 10 years in which they’ve developed their product in the Asian market.
