The Greek Organization of Football Prognostics SA (OPAP) said on Monday that it was opposed to scenarios of extra charges or taxes on any of its games following reports regarding this.

OPAP Director General Odysseas Christoforou released a statement stressing that the imposition of a tax on games would directly affect players’ activity, reducing fiscal revenues that the state collects at the moment that amount to 30% of OPAP’s gross revenue. Christoforou said that OPAP was opposed to scenarios that have been circulating regarding such a tax as these would have direct negative consequences on the company’s network. The company’s 4,500 agents, their families and more than 20,000 workers in the network will be facing significant problems that would only be enhanced through the imposition of a tax.

OPAP has already notified the government over the counter-efficiency of such measures while it also submitted specific proposals to combat illegal gambling – which was currently estimated at around six billion euros.

OPAP officials point to the contribution that their organization has made to the Greek economy and the society during the crisis with high taxes (570 million euros in 2014) and social works such as the recent financing of renovations of children’s hospitals along with other sports academies for children.