Avgenaki’s meeting with the four professional leagues on gambling revenue

Deputy Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis met with the heads of the professional leagues (Stoiximan Super League, Super League 2, Basket League and Volley League) of Greece on the case of the distribution of funds derived from gambling.

Sports Deputy Minister Lefteris Avgenakis met on Tuesday with Katia Koxenoglou (SL1 Deputy President), Leonidas Leoutsako (SL2 President), Vangelis Galatsopoulos (ESAKE President) and Pantelis Tarnatoro (ESAP President), representatives of the professional leagues (Stoiximan Super League, Super League 2, Basket League and Volleyball League) of Greece.

The purpose was further advice and the expansion of the discussion about the fairest possible distribution of the amount to which they are entitled as an aid from the permanent financing mechanism through the taxation of the winnings of the gambling participants.

For 2023, the sum amounts to 30,500,000 euros, just as much money ends up in amateur sports.

The four deputies were analyzed according to criteria and assignment parameters as they are now collected by the Deputy Ministry of Sports.

For example, the following were analyzed:

• Information on their participation in the turnover of betting companies
• Reports to the National Sports Integrity Platform for possible match-fixing
• the Gaming Supervision and Control Commission’s decision to impose betting limits on SL2, effectively overseeing the league
• the number of participating teams, being in some places too many (SL2) and in others too few (ESAP)
• the income from the European participations, depending on the sport, etc.

SL1, ESAKE and ESAP expressed their initial satisfaction while all four leagues asked for 48 hours to inform their teams and come back.

It should be noted that sporting corporations that have not received the required certificate of participation in their championship from the Professional Sport Committee (e.g. where a letter of guarantee has not been submitted) are not eligible.

In addition, sports companies involved in reporting to the National Sports Integrity Platform will not be paid any funds for their possible participation in rigged games until EPATHLA issues a finding. As the finding will be forwarded to the sports authorities for further investigation of the case, the suspension of funding will remain in place until the relevant bodies have made a decision.

“Let me first remind you that a long-standing demand from the sports family has been implemented by the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, namely to secure money through correct and fair taxation of bettors. An effort that started two years ago in partnership with the Treasury and the Prime Minister’s absolute support and we have already allocated money to the sport family through a permanent mechanism that works and is constantly improving and is known to be equally professional and empowering amateur sport.”explained first Lefteris Avgenakis.

“Today we had the second consecutive meeting with the representatives of the leagues, with SL1 and SL2, basketball and volleyball, to discuss how to distribute the 30.5 million euros for 2023. There was a discussion about the distribution and I think there was a lot of progress. A leap has been made towards a fairer and I would say more transparent distribution of money. Leagues officials have asked for two days’ notice for board meetings to be held, after saying we want an agreement and hope we will not face serious difficulties to proceed with the distribution of this money. In the meantime, the money will be in the treasury. If they don’t agree, they don’t get any money.”

“At the same time, because I imagine that amateurs also want to know, work is being done on the corresponding KYA for amateur sport, on the basis of which the 30.5 million will also be distributed to them. Fair in a way, but that’s how it is.” more and more labyrinthine the system and the parameters that we want to set, which are constantly improving and evolving for the better and fairer”.

“In professional sports, for example, we have insights from EPATHLA reports on match-fixing for the first time. For the first time we have evidence that has been taken into account, that has been entered into the table and data of the Supervisory Commission Control of Games. We have insight into the quality and number of participants, we have a similar image in amateur sport and we do our best to achieve fairer distribution and transparency.”

Katia Koxenoglou scored for the Stoiximan Super League: “A longstanding and fair request from Super League 1, the proceeds from the bet, we see it slowly becoming a reality through the very good cooperation with the Deputy Minister of Sport, Mr Avgenakis. A request that football has been asking for for years and now we see that we can agree. Therefore, a meeting was held today so that all leagues could agree on the distribution issue. As the deputy minister also mentioned, we have taken a step forward to make the distribution more equitable.”

Vangelis Galatsopoulos notes for the Basket League: “We had the second meeting with the Deputy Minister on the issue of the allocation of funds from the taxation of betting winnings, which is now a permanent funding mechanism that is very good for amateur and professional sports. There was a good discussion and in the next two days we will have results so the teams can get that money and have a better operation”.

Finally, Pantelis Tarnatoros said about ESAP: “We were invited for the second time by the deputy minister to continue the discussion on the distribution of money from the bet that started a week ago. The Deputy Minister explained to us that this institution will be enriched with new criteria as it matures, so the distribution will now be based on data generated year by year. The whole conversation was very positive. We’ve all reserved the right to speak to our directors to update them. I think we are at a sufficiently advanced stage to find the solution that we all want in order for the money to be paid out, what our teams are waiting for and how.. We hope that in the next 2-3 days the Talks from all leagues are complete and we are reaching the Deputy Minister with our decisions so we can now proceed with the final agreement”.