The article in in.gr:
My answer to the comments that not (!) but they publish it:
Will the favorable regulations for "Hippodromies SA" remain in force? | in.gr
Almost a year after the change of government, the favorable regulations of the SYRIZA government for Ippodromies SA and OPAP SA remain in force.
www.in.gr
My answer to the comments that not (!) but they publish it:
The racetrack can not pay 2,200,000 euros per year rent, whoever is the organizer of the racetrack (public, OPAP, other company).
Twenty years ago when the racetrack bet was high it could but now it will just close. There is no such income.
This condition imposed by the HRDH in 2014 caused no serious company to be interested in buying the racetrack. Intralot accepted him but offered only 10,000,000 euros for the purchase and finally OPAP accepted him who also offered 40,000,000 for the purchase.
But OPAP moved cunningly. His goal was on the one hand to degrade the racecourse and on the other hand to "take out" the competitor Intralot.
In fact, OPAP did not participate in that competition normally.
As long as the French were there, the PMU did not take part. The reason is obvious. He did not want to oppose the strong French company that is considered the "mother" of the national-monopoly betting companies in Europe. Without pmu and Sarkozy, the unrestricted Buki online betting would have dominated everywhere!
However, the French withdrew precisely because of the rent and at the moment the offer of Intralot "won", but OPAP appeared and finally got the agreement, even if it was overdue.
The difference between 10 million and 40 million was big and a window was found for OPAP to win.
In 2015 the race continued as a public one, with ODIE, since the many and various details of the contract took time to be settled and finally the OPAP races started in January 2016.
Since then, the racetrack has been steadily declining.
No relation to ODIE.
ODIE has been problematic for the last three years of its operation, 2013 to 2015, which was now closing, very problematic.
But OPAP never had the crap, since OPAP, as everyone knows, deliberately degrades horse racing.
Nevertheless, the in.gr columnist is wrong when he asks for the rent to be returned.
The racetrack is not coming out, no one will be playing, finally.
Today the turnover is about 250,000 euros each time he has Greek races, ie once a week.
In 2000 it was 2,500,000 euros three times a week.
With such turnover of 2,200,000 a year rent would come out.
But now it's funny.
In 2012, the turnover of the racetrack was 600,000 euros at each racetrack, with two rallies a week. This downward trend had caused great unrest and as a result 4-5 of the great horse owners, Mrs. Marinopoulou (Figaia's stables) and others left.
Today the number 600,000 is the number that could be achieved by the best managers in the world - in the place of the fans - and if!
In the rest of what the article says about the Philippine Union, the columnist is absolutely right.
What is happening is funny and far-fetched. The organizer of the bet has in his hands the federation of the sport and controls it!
SYRIZA's bitter minister Vassiliadis did just that and New Democracy told us that this law has an "expiration date".
What is this date?
But there are others.
OPAP in March 2019, when the Vassiliadis law was to be passed, had commissioned a golden TV channel (!) To do all the relevant propaganda.
In fact, they brought the unexplained Avlonitou one day, who together with the goldsmith -or the former goldsmith, I don't know- vulgarly insulted Voridis!
What are these things and how does the government tolerate them today ??????
The abortion law must be revoked immediately.
I don't know what will happen next.
I wish a serious state betting agency could be re-established this time around.
The friends of the racetrack recall the old days when the racetrack was in Faliro. We did our hobby, here and there our effort was rewarded with some good money. Now we only see and know that if we gamble with them we will simply lose all our money.