OPAP Denies Codere Interest 

Greece’s national betting monopoly, the Hellenic Organisation of Football Prognosticators (OPAP), has rubbished claims that it eyeing a move into the Spanish market by purchasing a stake in the Codere gaming group.

A Spanish newspaper reported last week that the Martinez Sampedro family was considering selling its 71 percent stake in the casino and gaming group with OPAP as an interested party. In addition, a Greek newspaper reported soon after that the Athens-based concern was considering teaming up or purchasing Intralot.

'Greek and foreign media reports on OPAP's intention to buy part of Codere and Intralot or the entire firms are not based on substantial information,' read a press release from OPAP.

However, Europe's biggest betting firm revealed that it had held exploratory talks with a number of unnamed world lotteries, sportsbetting operators and lottery system providers regarding opportunities for foreign expansion.