Greece’s nationwide funding fund, Growthfund, has confirmed that two corporations—OPAP Investment Limited and Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation—have formally submitted expressions of curiosity for the unique rights to supervise the nation’s State Lotteries for a minimal of 10 years. This announcement follows the closure of the tender’s preliminary part on July 23, launching the following stage within the extremely aggressive bid course of.
Two Contenders Confirmed for Major Lottery Contract
The worldwide tender, launched in late June, seeks to award a long-term concession that grants the profitable bidder full duty for the manufacturing, administration, operation, and promotion of a number of outstanding lottery merchandise in Greece. The choices included within the concession are the Instant State Lottery, the State Housing Lottery, the Popular Lottery, the Special Social National Lottery, the National Lottery, and the Extraordinary or Special Lottery, the latter of which is drawn by the European Association of State Lotteries (AELLE).
OPAP and Brightstar submitted their proposals earlier than the July 23 deadline. According to local media, the 2 corporations will now bear a pre-selection evaluation. Those assembly the required standards shall be invited to proceed to Phase B of the tender, which incorporates the submission of binding provides.
Brightstar, the newly fashioned model of IGT’s lottery enterprise, enters the competitors following a rebranding earlier this yr. Though Brightstar’s Q1 financials confirmed a decline in income throughout most segments—with service income dropping 10% and product gross sales income down 38%—its entry into the Greek market indicators a strategic ambition to safe worldwide lottery contracts.
Meanwhile, OPAP Investment Limited, a subsidiary of Allwyn and the present operator of Greece’s State Lotteries by means of its Hellenic Lotteries arm, stays a powerful contender. OPAP’s lottery operations have remained its core enterprise, delivering €206.8 million in Q1 2025, up 5.5% year-on-year, with 94.2% of that income coming from retail gross sales. Total group income reached €595 million throughout the identical interval, with vital development additionally recorded in iGaming and sports activities betting segments.
With OPAP already holding the present concession, Growthfund is predicted to weigh the operator’s current infrastructure and efficiency when evaluating future proposals. However, Brightstar’s international footprint and technological capabilities may make it a compelling challenger within the subsequent spherical.
Tender Process Moves Toward Binding Offers
The upcoming part will decide who finally secures the rights to Greece’s State Lotteries. Both corporations might want to current binding monetary and operational proposals that fulfill Growthfund’s concession situations. The length of the settlement is ready for no less than 10 years, giving the eventual winner long-term management over a major section of the Greek gaming trade.
This tender is a part of Greece’s ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline its gaming sector whereas making certain strong income streams by means of aggressive licensing. With each international and home operators within the race, the end result may reshape the Greek lottery panorama for the following decade.
