Operator News
Greece – SAZKA takes shareholding in OPAP past 40 per cent
By Phil - 4 November 2019
Czech-based Sazka Group has acquired 23m shares of Greek gambling operator OPAP, representing approximately 7.25 per cent of OPAP’s total paid-up share capital.
Sazka now owns, directly or indirectly, around 39.9 per cent of OPAP or 40.2 per cent if the own shares are excluded.
Karel Komarek, President of Sazka Group said: “We are happy to have been able to significantly increase our participation in OPAP through the Public Offer. We look forward to continuing to invest in OPAP, in collaboration with those shareholders who chose not to sell their shares. We are happy that these shareholders have chosen to continue with us.”
SAZKA Group operates lottery, betting and non-lottery businesses in the Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Austria and Italy.
Its interest in OPAP began when the Greek government sold a 33 per cent stake in OPAP to Emma Delta, owned by Sazka Group and Georgios Melissanidis, in 2013 for about €650m. Since May 1,2013, the date of the privatisation of OPAP, OPAP shareholders have been paid a shareholder return of over 130 per cent including over €1.4bn of aggregate dividends paid
