Greek betting monopoly operator OPAP has dismissed reports that it is considering acquiring a stake in Spanish gaming group Codere from the Martinez Sampedro family, but reaffirmed its determination to expand geographically beyond its home market.

In a filing with the Athens Stock Exchange, OPAP said its goal was to become a leading operator in the international gaming market, reducing its dependence on the current concession with the Greek state.

The company said it studied a wide range of proposals and ideas which lead to exploratory discussions with international gaming and lottery operators. „It is these types of discussions which have led the Greek and international press to speculate on our possible acquisition of Codere or Intralot,“ said the company. The reports „are not based on evidence and simply project the known objectives of OPAP,“ it added.

The company did however confirm that it would participate in the privatization of the Turkish national lottery in cooperation with ’an extremely reliable Turkish consortium’, on condition that the prospective tender’s terms are considered appealing.