Greece Grant Nine Major Gambling Licenses in Four Days
Greek authorities granted gambling permits for numerous large online betting platforms in order to promote a competitive culture within the industry. As Greece’s economy looks to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic, the national gambling authority is acting swiftly to ensure online platforms are eligible for business. The number of available online bookmakers is expected to grow significantly in the coming weeks as the Greek government sparks new life into the industry.
Greece have granted a number of gambling licenses to some of the Mediterranean’s largest online provider, in an effort to provoke a competitive culture within the market. NetBet previously held an overwhelming monopoly over the Greek online betting market. ©Michelleraponi /Pixabay
One of the first companies to receive their license was B2B Gaming Services (B2BGS), an in-house casino game developer based in Malta. The Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) decided to advocate for the firm as true innovators in the field of game development. Their previous track record show successes in the UK, Spain, Italy, and certain parts of Asia. Several international firms have seen fit to relocate to Malta in the past few years, including bet365.
They also supply live games for other companies to use and are able to maintain their own signature catalog while they do this. One of the companies partnered with them, Kalamba Group, also received an official gambling license from the HGC not long after B2BGS. Kalamba Group is a new firm trying to establish themselves in the Mediterranean, and their only other international presence is in Italy.
Kalamba Group is also responsible for many eSports-related events in Italy, often hosting and sponsoring live-streamed tournaments featuring their two most popular games, Super Smash Bros Melee and Call of Duty: Warzone. Having gained a stellar reputation in the Italian market, Kalamba are looking to spread their roots and influence another Mediterranean territory.
One of the most significant license holders, NetBet, is set to scale up operations in Greece and their many other European interests such as Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. The monopoly they held over the Greek market could be under threat from the new license holders after many promising online platforms have entered the market. However, they are one of the most trusted brands globally, and their already staggering user base at 1.1 million in Greece speaks for itself.
A New Challenger Approaches…
Aspire Global’s Pariplay (AGP) are a firm not many have heard of but are predicted to make a big splash in the Greek gambling market. Having only just received an official license from the HGC, they are now laying the foundations to establish a significant user base in the Mediterranean country. They successfully infiltrated the Spanish market back in late 2020 in an effort to raise awareness of their service across Europe.
AGP was formerly two separate companies. Aspire Global acquired Pariplay in November 2019 for a deal worth over €14 million, and since then, the company has exploded in popularity, especially in its pre-existing Spanish stronghold. Their CEO spoke highly of the Greek market, calling it a great opportunity to learn more about the industry and partner with brands across the continent. AGP has set a very clear plan of attack.
A significant bill that the Greek government approved was the permission to operate random number generator games (RNG), a variable concept commonly used in video games, it makes for an intense live gambling experience. Firms looking to supply RNG games have to apply for a special license covering this section of live gaming; otherwise, they will be prevented from doing so.
Scandinavia Has Its Say
Finally, the last significant licensee is Golden Race, a Scandinavian online betting platform, which dominates the northern region of Europe. Sweden and Denmark are currently their two largest user bases. Since 2002, they have offered live casino gaming and have seen its growth from its primitive state to the all-inclusive service we know and love today.
As well as this, they own several land-based casinos in Sweden and Denmark with their largest being the Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm. They had numerous shares in many casinos across Scandinavia and have managed to acquire several other online betting platforms in the same region. Following harsh legal processes, they managed to purchase many of their competition without overstepping market guidelines.
