1.11.2011 Official Journal of the European Union L 285/25 COMMISSION DECISION of 24 May 2011 on State aid to certain Greek casinos C 16/10 (ex NN 22/10, ex CP 318/09) implemented by the Hellenic Republic (notified under document C(2011) 3504) (Only the Greek text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2011/716/EU) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the first subparagraph of the Article 108(2) thereof, Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and in particular to the Article 62(1)(a) thereof, Having called upon interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the provisions cited above (') and having regard to their comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1)  On 8 July 2009 the Consortium Loutraki SA — Club Hotel Loutraki SA (%) (the ‘complainant’ or ‘TLoutraki) lodged with the European Commission (the ‘Commission’) a complaint concerning Greek legislation on a system of levies on admissions to casinos, alleging that such system provided State aid to three operators, namely Regency Casino de Mont Parnes, Corfu Casino and Casino Thessaloniki (}). By e-mail message of 7 October 2009 the complainant stated that it did not object to the disclosure of its identity. On 14 October 2009 the Commission services met representatives of the complainant. By letter of 26 October 2009 the complainant provided further elements in support of its complaint. (2 On 21 October 2009 the Commission communicated the complaint to Greece and invited Greece to clarify the issues it brought forward. By letter dated 17 November 2009 Greece requested further time to respond, which was granted by the Commission by e- mail message of 18 November 2009. On 27 November 2009 Greece replied to the Commission. (3)  On 15 December 2009 the Commission forwarded the reply of Greece to the complainant. The complainant replied on 29 December 2009 with observations on the reply of Greece. () OJ C 235, 31.8.2010, p. 3. () Consortium - Loutraki S.A.- Club Hotel Casino Loutraki S.A. (Kowornpagia A.A.ET.- Aoutpakt AE- Khapnm Ot Aoutpakt AE), Voukourestiou 11, Akti Poseidonos 48, Loutraki, Athens 10671, Greece. (®) The casino of Rhodes, to which a license was granted by virtue of the Ministerial Decision T/633/29.5.1996, was not cited in the complaint as following its privatisation in April 1999 it had stopped benefiting from the measure under assessment. (4) On 25 February, 4 and 23 March and 13 April 2010, the Commission requested further information from Greece, to which Greece replied on 10 March, 1 and 21 April 2010. (5) By decision of 6 July 2010 (hereinafter the ‘Opening Decision’), the Commission informed Greece that it initiated the formal investigation procedure set forth in Article 108(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in regard of the measure implemented by Greece, specifically the charging of lower tax on admissions in certain casinos. The Opening Decision was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (¥, inviting interested parties to submit their comments. (6) By letter of 9 August 2010 Greece requested an extension of the deadline to respond, which was granted by the Commission by letter of 18 August 2010. By letter of 6 October 2010 the Commission received comments from Greece on the Opening Decision. On 12 October 2010 the Greek authorities submitted  additional  information regarding the contested measure. (7)  Following the opening of the procedure, the Commission received observations from two interested parties: the representatives of the beneficiary casino of Mont Parnés, reacted to the opening by letter of 4 August 2010; the representatives of the private Loutraki casino reacted to the opening by letters of 8 and 25 October 2010. (8) By letter of 29 October 2010, the Commission forwarded the abovementioned observations to the Greek authorities, in order to give them with the oppor- tunity to react. By letter of 6 December 2010 the Greek authorities presented their comments to third parties’ observations, in order to clarify, inter alia, certain aspects of the application of the subject-scheme and the interpretation of the Greek legislation relevant to the analysis of the case. [I. THE MEASURE CONCERNED II.1. The measure (9)  The measure under assessment is the fiscal discrimination that the Greek authorities have put into place in favour (*) See footnote 1.