Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive, said: “We are working with the Greek authorities to clarify certain issues and we hope to have further dialogue on those matters. Of fundamental importance, however, is the taxation regime that will be put into operation and the proposed 6% turnover tax is, as in France, simply not viable for operators in a highly competitive global market.”
The RGA also asked for clarification from the Greek authorities in the requirement for licensed operators to permanently establish and to locate servers in Greece, and the compulsory use of a dot.gr domain. The limitation of online licenses to between 15 and 50, has also been questioned . Hawkswood said the trade body did not view this “as necessarily conducive to an attractive and competitive market”, and could lead to a lack of a competitive offering to Greek consumers and therefore the “continuing migration of Greek citizens to operators licensed in other jurisdictions.”
KPMG produced a report on the relationship between the taxation model proposed for remote gambling operators and its impact on the Greek gambling market and, according to Hawkswood, “the results are clear, only a gross profits taxation model will provide value for consumers, a reliable source of revenue for the government and a healthy competitive environment for the industry.”