Update: Lottomatica Takes Minority Stake in Winning OPAP Bidder

May 10, 2013
Update: Lottomatica Takes Minority Stake in Winning OPAP Bidder
Despite the fact that it has backed out of the bidding process for the acquisition of Greece's gambling monopoly OPAP, the giant lottery and gaming giant Gruppo Lottomatica SpA has purchased a minority stake in the only remaining bidder in the process, Emma Delta, a consortium controlled by Czech investor Jiri Smejc along with George Melisanidis, scion of a Greek shipping family.

The final price Emma Delta has agreed to pay the Greek state is Euro 652 million in installments for the rights to operate 13 games of chance on an exclusive basis until 2030 in addition to a ten-year authorization which will enable it to run 35,000 video lottery terminals in the country.

Regarding Lottomatica's part in this, the group shareholders said: “As an industrial partner, Lottomatica Group expects to provide expertise in the areas of technology, operations, and the launch of new products.”

They issued this statement at the Italian firm's annual shareholders meeting, where they also decided to approve its name change into GTech SpA as of June 3.
Bingo Society News General Bingo News Back to articles