Two bidders emerge in Greece’s lottery license tender
Two investment entities have submitted expressions of interest in the Greek state’s international tender for the exclusive rights to produce, manage, operate, promote, and commercially exploit the country’s State Lotteries for at least a decade, according to a press release published by the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP), also known as Growthfund, on Tuesday. The corporation, that oversees the process on behalf of the Greek state, revealed that the interested parties are Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation and OPAP Investment Limited.
Brightstar operates IGT Italy, one of the largest lottery operations in the world. It also partners with the state lotteries of Indiana and New Jersey.
OPAP was established in 1958 and has been listed on the Athens Exchange since 2001. It is the exclusive operator of numerical lotteries, retail sports betting, and horseracing mutual betting in Greece, and operates in both Greece and Cyprus.
Next phase: binding offers
that following an evaluation of the submitted dossiers, only candidates meeting the preselection criteria would be invited to participate in the second phase of the tender. In that phase, they “will be invited to submit binding offers.”
The rights at stake include a wide array of lottery products currently offered under the national system. “The right to the State Lotteries to be granted includes the Instant State Lottery, the Housing State Lottery, the Popular Lottery, the State Lottery for Social Perception, the National Lottery, and the Extraordinary or Special Lottery drawn by the European Lotteries Association (AELLE).”
Currently, the lottery rights are held by the company known as “Hellenic Lotteries Société Anonyme for the Production, Operation, Circulation, Promotion and Management of Lotteries.”
The contract on offer, which will take effect after the existing one expires, is expected to cover at least a ten-year period, though the final duration will be “specified during the second phase of the competitive procedure.”
Aiming for high stakes and public benefit
In launching the tender process, Growthfund highlighted that the primary goal was to “protect the public interest and especially the interest of consumers and the public in general,” including “the prevention of fraud and the protection of social order based on the principles of responsible gaming.”
It added that it aims to “secure a significant financial consideration for the state” and to “ensure the provision of high-level combined services for the operation, management, and exploitation of the State Lotteries for the benefit of the Greek economy.”
The successful bidder must operate under the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, and proportionality, all of which are laid out in both Greek and EU law.
The coming weeks will see the evaluation of the submitted dossiers. Those who meet the criteria will be invited to sign a confidentiality agreement and proceed to submit detailed financial proposals. The Growthfund will then select a “Preferred Investor,” who will be awarded the new concession.
As the existing license holder prepares to hand over its duties by May 2026, all eyes will be on which bidder, Brightstar Global Solutions or OPAP Investment Limited, emerges with the winning ticket.
