OPAP Shareholders Give the Thumbs Up to Allwyn Merger

Summary

OPAP held an Extraordinary General Meeting on 7 January 2026 where shareholders voted to approve the planned merger with Allwyn and the re-domiciliation to Luxembourg as a step towards a planned move to Switzerland. The vote clears an important hurdle but the transaction remains subject to further closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The combined business will keep the Allwyn name, be headquartered in Switzerland and remain listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, with experts saying the emerging entity could be worth around EUR 16 billion and may seek an additional listing on another exchange. Allwyn has been a majority OPAP shareholder for several years, and the merger aims to create a larger, more diversified European lottery and gaming group.

OPAP reported that roughly four in five shareholders backed the re-domiciliation, representing 231,008,219 of 358,603,478 total shares. The companies expect to complete the cross-border conversion within three months, though some steps (including the final Swiss re-domiciliation) need regulatory sign-off in Greece and elsewhere.

Key Points

Shareholders approved advancing the merger at OPAP’s EGM on 7 January 2026.
Shareholders backed re-domiciliation to Luxembourg, paving the way for a later move to Switzerland.
The combined company will trade under the Allwyn name, be headquartered in Switzerland and remain listed in Athens; an additional exchange listing is likely.
Industry estimates value the emerging group at about EUR 16 billion, making it the world’s second-largest listed lottery and gaming company if completed.
Approval was supported by roughly 80% of shareholders (231,008,219 of 358,603,478 shares).
The merger builds on Allwyn’s existing majority stake in OPAP and seeks growth through scale, diversification, digitalisation and brand expansion.
Completion still depends on regulatory approvals and other closing conditions; OPAP expects cross-border conversion within three months.

Why should I read this?

Quick and simple: this is a big reshuffle in the European lottery world. If you track gambling, lotteries, investors or corporate M&A, this move could change market rankings, listing dynamics and strategic direction — so it’s worth a fast read to know what’s shifting and why it matters.

Author style

Punchy: this isn’t just another corporate press release — it’s a potentially industry-defining deal. If you care about market position, regulation or shareholder value in European gaming, the details matter.