Breaking news

Opap Shareholders Endorse Strategic Transformation in Landmark Gaming Merger

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 8, 2026

Overview Of The Transformation

At its 13th extraordinary general meeting, Opap shareholders, representing over 80% of the company’s paid-up share capital, approved a comprehensive split and cross-border transformation plan scheduled for January 2026. The board’s decision cleared the merger of Allwyn and Opap, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of the global gaming landscape.

Strategic Merger And Corporate Reconfiguration

The approved agenda items met the required majorities, reinforcing the board’s strategic vision. With the final voting results to be announced via the stock exchange, detailed guidance on the €19.04 exit right will soon be available to stakeholders. Giannos Karas highlighted that the merger is not only transformational for the merging entities but also positions the new global champion to deliver robust financial performance and substantial returns to shareholders.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Diversification And Enhanced Dividend Policy

Key to the strategy is broadening geographic diversification and leveraging advanced technology to boost shareholder value. The merger complements an attractive dividend policy that has become a hallmark of Opap’s operating model. Pavel Mucha confirmed that a special dividend of €0.80 would be distributed following the transaction, while a steady dividend payout of at least €1 per share will persist. Additionally, the existing Greek tax rate of 5% remains unchanged.

Corporate Restructuring And Governance

Beyond the merger, shareholders endorsed a series of corporate restructuring measures. These include the carve-out of the gaming activities sector and the establishment of a new beneficiary company. The transformation plan also ratified modifications to Opap’s articles of association, encompassing changes to the corporate name and purpose. The creation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, which will consolidate holdings from existing subsidiaries, further underpins the company’s cross-border transformation and strategic exchange of shareholdings.

Rebranding For Global Integration

In alignment with its strategic overhaul, Opap Cyprus has announced its rebranding as Allwyn, effective January 2026. The rebranding effort is designed to harmonize the company’s identity with its international parent group while enhancing its engagement with the local market. Senior executives, including Alexandros Davos, underscored that this measured transition leverages the established market footprint of Opap Cyprus, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, customer engagement, and industry best practices.

Looking Ahead

As the merged entity continues to steadfastly maintain its deep-rooted presence in Greece and remains listed on Euronext Athens, industry leaders anticipate strong future growth. The transaction complies fully with European Union law and safeguards minority shareholder rights, ensuring continuity in leadership and operational excellence. This strategic move signals a new era of development, positioning the organization to benefit from a robust growth platform and sustain an enduring legacy in the global gaming sector.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.