οπαπ (OPAP)

by Edlyne · February 19, 2020

Hello everyone!

Welcome for another episode of my adventures in Cyprus! Today we stay at Nicosia. How are you doing?

Do you like gambling?

Well, if the answer is yes! Opap is the place for you! Opap is the Greek acronym for Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics. It was established in 1958 under the umbrella of the General Secretariat of Sport in Greece. It was exported in Cyprus in 1969.

Opap proposed different games:

Pro-po,
lotto,
kino,
extra 5…

Gambling is something similar to France, here in Cyprus. In France, thanks to a public company called La Française des Jeux, you can bet on sports, play lotto and so much more.

So, yesterday I took the decision to go to the closest OPAP next to Nautilos Youth Centre. Honestly, I am not a gambler, but I wanted to see how it works. I came in and it was quite sophisticated. Small tables, pens, sheets to gamble. The games rules were in Greek, nevertheless, thanks to some examples I was ready to play lotto for 1,50€. I went to the tobacconist and this is where the magic happened! On a small corner for 1€, some scratch cards were available.

Then, I bought one scratch card. I sit at a table and started to scratch. The game was very simple if you 3 identical numbers you win the amount associated. I was lucky because my ticket was a winner one! The tobacconist asked me if I wanted to gamble again and I said no. Now, I understand how addiction works. I mean the human brain wants always more. Why? I have no ideas.

Anyway, it was a very interesting experience. I have tried something new, something different and I have won 1€. Okay, it is not a lot, but some people do not have 1€ per day to live, so it is a good thing. A place like Opap is good to test your limits. As far as I am concerned, I know that money is a very sensitive topic for me. I could not be able to gamble big amount like 100€.

Morality: do not hesitate to try something new. Try is the key to learn better. Sometimes you have good results other times not. Furthermore, you should always follow your instincts.

Warning: excessive gambling is not good for individuals. If you are in this case do not hesitate to consult specialists. They will help you.