ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GAME SUPERVISION AND CONTROL COMMITTEE
On 4.11.2021, the Parliament passed certain legislative regulations that modify the legal framework of the EEEP. These arrangements were proposed, in their basic content, by the Commission to the Minister of Finance in June 2021.
On behalf of the administration and the executives of EEEP, I would like to warmly thank the Minister as well as those who contributed to the elaboration, documentation, promotion and voting of the above regulations, as these regulations are an important step for the organizational and operational reorganization of the Authority. .
The EEEP effectively started operating as an independent authority in 2013. During the initial phase of its staffing, it attracted, exclusively by secondment, a sufficient number of civil servants who believed that they could have an attractive professional future. It is characteristic that at the end of 2014, 173 executives were employed in EEEP. The sequel, however, was not proportionate. The Authority was "forgotten" in terms of staffing with a sufficient number, professional qualifications and performance incentives staff. The number of executives began to decline steadily from year to year while, at the same time, the workload, responsibilities and competencies increased exponentially. At the same time, the rewards and incentives for the staff were almost non-existent compared to their oversupply. The professional environment in EEEP has become uncertain and productively dysfunctional with the result that its human resources are steadily declining.
Many did not want the renewal or interrupted their secondments before they expired, while the Authority's occasional efforts to attract qualified staff fell short. At the beginning of 2021 there were only 67 executives left and ALL of them remained seconded. Even those who met the conditions for transfer to the Authority, were detached due to bureaucratic entanglements and inaction of the competent bodies and services. It is certainly sad that today, the day that the provisions concerning our Authority were finally voted, there are 42 executives left.
In terms of costs, staff remuneration in 2015 was € 4,5 million while today it amounts to approximately 1,1 million, a decrease of 76%.
The EEEP supervises and controls the gaming area. Its purpose is to strengthen the legal gaming network, to combat illegal conduct, to protect players and to secure public revenue from gambling. In terms of revenues, in 2019, before the coronavirus, the direct revenues from the participation of the state in the gross profit of the games were approximately € 850 million, while the total direct revenues, including income taxes, amounted to approximately 1.060 thousand €. For 2021 the total direct revenues are estimated at approximately € 1,2 billion and for 2025 at € 1,8 billion.
It is a fact that today our Authority has successfully completed a huge project. Indicatively, the continuous enrichment and modernization of the regulatory framework for games, the licensing of the online games market, the granting of the Casino license to Elliniko, the transfer of the Parnitha Casino are mentioned.
The regulations that have been passed do not solve all the institutional problems, but create the conditions for the stabilization and reorganization of the EEEP at the organizational and operational level. Particularly:
• The remaining seconded executives can be transferred by decision of the Minister of Finance, which will stabilize his number and eliminate the prevailing uncertainty.
• It is possible, always within the limits of the possibilities provided by the public sector, for immediate filling of vacancies in the staff and gradually for the formation of a sufficiently, functional and efficient organizational structure
• It is now possible, through specific procedures, to establish adequate performance incentives that will upgrade the staff remuneration that will contribute with their offer and productivity to the successful exercise of the Authority's work. Moreover, in this way the EEEP will become more attractive for other executives of the highly specialized public sector.
• It is possible to conclude program contracts with educational institutions and other bodies, so that both the gaming market and the Authority, to be connected in the field of research, education and training with universities and other educational bodies, contributing with their action to the upgrade the quality and productivity of the industry.
• Finally, it is possible to reorganize the control mechanism, harmonizing the working hours of the control mechanism with those of the market, so that the supervision and control become easier and the individual issues that arise during the implementation are addressed in a timely manner.
The practical implementation of the regulations, with the issuance of the relevant decisions required by authorization of the legislative provisions passed today, will begin immediately. In addition, in the immediate future, the Minister of Finance, who is currently in charge of gambling, will be offered specific proposals for legislation and regulations that will improve the operation of the market, based on the experience accumulated.
Nevertheless, much remains to be done for the EEEP to be able to perform its institutional role in the most effective way. In this endeavor, all of us, members, management and executives of the Authority, must be helpers. For my part, I would like to assure you that I am always moving and acting in the direction of our substantial modernization so that EEEP develops into a truly modern body of regulation, supervision and control of the gaming market according to international standards.
The President of EEEP
Dimitris Ntzanatos
On 4.11.2021, the Parliament passed certain legislative regulations that modify the legal framework of the EEEP. These arrangements were proposed, in their basic content, by the Commission to the Minister of Finance in June 2021.
On behalf of the administration and the executives of EEEP, I would like to warmly thank the Minister as well as those who contributed to the elaboration, documentation, promotion and voting of the above regulations, as these regulations are an important step for the organizational and operational reorganization of the Authority. .
The EEEP effectively started operating as an independent authority in 2013. During the initial phase of its staffing, it attracted, exclusively by secondment, a sufficient number of civil servants who believed that they could have an attractive professional future. It is characteristic that at the end of 2014, 173 executives were employed in EEEP. The sequel, however, was not proportionate. The Authority was "forgotten" in terms of staffing with a sufficient number, professional qualifications and performance incentives staff. The number of executives began to decline steadily from year to year while, at the same time, the workload, responsibilities and competencies increased exponentially. At the same time, the rewards and incentives for the staff were almost non-existent compared to their oversupply. The professional environment in EEEP has become uncertain and productively dysfunctional with the result that its human resources are steadily declining.
Many did not want the renewal or interrupted their secondments before they expired, while the Authority's occasional efforts to attract qualified staff fell short. At the beginning of 2021 there were only 67 executives left and ALL of them remained seconded. Even those who met the conditions for transfer to the Authority, were detached due to bureaucratic entanglements and inaction of the competent bodies and services. It is certainly sad that today, the day that the provisions concerning our Authority were finally voted, there are 42 executives left.
In terms of costs, staff remuneration in 2015 was € 4,5 million while today it amounts to approximately 1,1 million, a decrease of 76%.
The EEEP supervises and controls the gaming area. Its purpose is to strengthen the legal gaming network, to combat illegal conduct, to protect players and to secure public revenue from gambling. In terms of revenues, in 2019, before the coronavirus, the direct revenues from the participation of the state in the gross profit of the games were approximately € 850 million, while the total direct revenues, including income taxes, amounted to approximately 1.060 thousand €. For 2021 the total direct revenues are estimated at approximately € 1,2 billion and for 2025 at € 1,8 billion.
It is a fact that today our Authority has successfully completed a huge project. Indicatively, the continuous enrichment and modernization of the regulatory framework for games, the licensing of the online games market, the granting of the Casino license to Elliniko, the transfer of the Parnitha Casino are mentioned.
The regulations that have been passed do not solve all the institutional problems, but create the conditions for the stabilization and reorganization of the EEEP at the organizational and operational level. Particularly:
• The remaining seconded executives can be transferred by decision of the Minister of Finance, which will stabilize his number and eliminate the prevailing uncertainty.
• It is possible, always within the limits of the possibilities provided by the public sector, for immediate filling of vacancies in the staff and gradually for the formation of a sufficiently, functional and efficient organizational structure
• It is now possible, through specific procedures, to establish adequate performance incentives that will upgrade the staff remuneration that will contribute with their offer and productivity to the successful exercise of the Authority's work. Moreover, in this way the EEEP will become more attractive for other executives of the highly specialized public sector.
• It is possible to conclude program contracts with educational institutions and other bodies, so that both the gaming market and the Authority, to be connected in the field of research, education and training with universities and other educational bodies, contributing with their action to the upgrade the quality and productivity of the industry.
• Finally, it is possible to reorganize the control mechanism, harmonizing the working hours of the control mechanism with those of the market, so that the supervision and control become easier and the individual issues that arise during the implementation are addressed in a timely manner.
The practical implementation of the regulations, with the issuance of the relevant decisions required by authorization of the legislative provisions passed today, will begin immediately. In addition, in the immediate future, the Minister of Finance, who is currently in charge of gambling, will be offered specific proposals for legislation and regulations that will improve the operation of the market, based on the experience accumulated.
Nevertheless, much remains to be done for the EEEP to be able to perform its institutional role in the most effective way. In this endeavor, all of us, members, management and executives of the Authority, must be helpers. For my part, I would like to assure you that I am always moving and acting in the direction of our substantial modernization so that EEEP develops into a truly modern body of regulation, supervision and control of the gaming market according to international standards.
The President of EEEP
Dimitris Ntzanatos
