- Absolute Confirmation of the Data Journalists’ Investigation that after the holiday season, the procedures for the betting company that has not provided tax information for three months will be initiated immediately, despite the €500,000 fine from the HGC.
- By the Government Gazette of December 27, the establishment of a three-member Hearing Committee within the Independent Authority, with the first summons to Halepli’s company just a matter of days away.
- The procedures to be followed, information from HGC sources, and why, although the suspension of the license is considered very strict, nothing can be ruled out.
By Vasilis Galoupis
Developments are unfolding rapidly in the investigated case of the betting company Betshop by the Gaming Control Commission. The activation of all inspection procedures immediately after the end of the holiday period by the Independent Authority fully confirms the relevant investigation by Data Journalists published on December 22, 2023.
Developments are unfolding rapidly in the investigated case of the betting company Betshop by the Gaming Control Commission. The activation of all inspection procedures immediately after the end of the holiday period by the Independent Authority fully confirms the relevant investigation by Data Journalists published on December 22, 2023.
The Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) has already proceeded with the establishment of a Hearing Committee that will examine every case of violations by online gaming providers, starting with the Betshop case in the coming weeks.
According to the relevant decision, a three-member Hearing Committee of the HGC is formed, including the President of the Independent Authority. Specifically, it consists of:
- Dimitrios Dzanatos of Spyridon, President of the HGC (Chairman of the Hearing Committee)
- Christina Lappas of Athanasios, Member of the HGC (Committee Member)
- Angelos Pouleas of Spyridon, Member of the HGC (Committee Member).
The Hearing Committee for matters related to online gaming was established after the publication in the Government Gazette on December 27, 2023.
A Special Three-Member Hearing Committee was established by the Government Gazette on December 27 within the Independent Authority of the Gaming Commission. The first company to be summoned for explanations in the coming weeks will be Betshop.
As stated in the relevant Government Gazette, “the Committee is responsible for investigating and examining issues and conducting hearings of the involved parties in cases of confirmed violations of the existing legislation related to games organized and conducted by Licensed Operators of online games, per the relevant provisions, as well as by individuals who organize and conduct corresponding games, under the provisions of paragraph 12 of article 50 of law 4002/2011 (Official Gazette A’ 180)”.
The investigation by Data Journalists on December 22, 2023, brought to light all the implications of the decision on October 30, 2023, imposing a hefty fine of €500,000 by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) on the company “B2B Gaming Services (Malta) Limited.” The administrative sanction pertained to the “violation of the terms of granting Licenses for Conducting Games of Chance via the Internet.”
B2B Gaming Services is the platform and operational space behind www.betshop.gr, an environment hosting thousands of betting options for sports betting, casinos, and games. The founder and leader of B2B is the entrepreneur, Gabriel Haleplis.
The €500,000 fine imposed by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) on October 30, 2023, one of the highest fines by the Commission, was related to the “obligation of the holder of the license, company “B2B”, to submit to the Independent Authority, by November 30, 2023, tax information in force.” According to the decision, the fine is a one-time payment.
When the company was licensed in July 2021, it received tax clearance as required by law. In our specific investigation, sources from the HGC informed Data Journalists – and these have been confirmed by the current developments – that by the deadline of November 30, 2023, B2B had not submitted the required tax information to the Independent Authority.
According to the same sources, the president of the Commission was already in communication with the legal department of the Independent Authority to propose further sanctions against B2B. The absence of tax information provides the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) with discretionary power, allowing them to even revoke the provider’s license.
Now, the case is in the hands of the newly established Hearing Committee, which will initiate the proceedings. It is expected to examine the case and subsequently set a deadline for the submission of a written memorandum. Following that, the committee is anticipated to summon the party under investigation for an oral hearing.
The written memoranda, as well as the audio recordings of any oral hearings, are submitted to the plenary of the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) for the issuance of a relevant decision on the imposition or non-imposition of the prescribed administrative measures and sanctions.
According to sources from the HGC, the dates have not been set yet, something that was expected to happen soon. Moreover, it appears to be noteworthy that, so far, in this almost three-month period since October 30, the company to which the €500,000 fine was imposed and was called upon to provide tax information in force has not responded to any of the requests.
The same sources state that, although the measure of license suspension is considered very strict, nothing can be ruled out as long as the required documents are not submitted after continuous appeals. This is due to the emergence of issues related to fair competition with companies that consistently fulfill all the conditions for smooth operation.
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