Greece’s gaming commission (HGC) on Thursday announced the permanent revocation of an operation license for a debt-laden casino near the western city of Patras and the temporary revocation for the troubled Loutraki casino near Corinth.
The decisions were taken by the state-affiliated commission’s board members, with the only dissenting vote for the former cast by its president, D. Tzanatos.
Barring recourse to the courts for an initial injunction against the ruling and subsequent legal challenge, the casino located in the coastal resort of Rio – just east of Patras proper – will have to close its doors.
Both gaming operators have accumulated huge arrears to the tax bureau and social security funds over the past two decades.
In terms of the Loutraki casino, located in the same-name resort town on the Corinth Gulf – west of the greater Athens area – the independent gaming watchdog ordered a two-month suspension of its license.
The casino reportedly failed to cover this year’s installments of an outstanding arrear of roughly 600,000 euros, for gross gaming revenue (GGR) rights – although the overall figure for arrears to the state and social security funds is much higher.
If the debt is covered, then the Loutraki casino will be able to resume operation.
As in the first case, the casino’s management has the right to seek legal recourse and request that the gaming commission’s decision not be applied, something it achieved approximately a year ago.
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