Greece launches drive to clamp down on illegal gambling
The government intends to step up prosecutions of unlicensed online and land-based gambling operators.
Greece.- The Greek government has announced plans to clamp down on illegal gambling, both online and offline. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance has been tasked with creating a new legal framework for the detection and prosecution of unlicensed operators.
Measures are expected to include the immediate closure of venues found hosting illegal gambling, including internet cafés and private clubs, licence revocation for complicit businesses and criminal charges, including imprisonment, for those who obstruct inspections or facilitate illicit gambling.
As for online gambling, the intention is to use a new AI-powered surveillance system and data analytics to detect illicit online platforms more effectively. The government intends to enhance DNS filtering to block access to over 11,000 blacklisted gambling sites. Authorities will also cross-reference user data, platform activity, and financial transactions in collaboration with the Bank of Greece.
The government will also step up public education efforts to raise awareness of gambling risks and to promote access to self-exclusion tools. It’s also promised tax incentives to strengthen the legal gambling sector and encourage users to shift away from unlicensed platforms. A proposal is expected to enter public consultation in autumn.
The move comes after research by the Hellenic Gaming Supervision and Control Commission (EEEP) and Kapa Research found that nearly 800,000 Greeks – roughly 9.5 per cent of the population – participated in illegal gambling in 2024, mostly men aged 25 to 44.
Some 390,000 gambled online, 215,000 via land-based venues and 194,000 through both channels. The average annual spend per player was €1,934.
Finance and economy minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis warned that unlicensed activity was causing an estimated annual loss of €1bn, including €500m in lost tax revenue. However, he added: “This isn’t just about money – it’s about addressing a serious societal issue.”
Last month, the EEEP formed a joint taskforce with law enforcement, judicial authorities, and the financial intelligence unit in a bid to tackle illegal gambling operations.
Antonis Vartholomaios, president of the EEEP, underscored the need for sustained cooperation: “We’re confronting a complex, evolving criminal ecosystem. Success depends not just on enforcement, but on building a resilient, adaptive regulatory framework,” he said.
Greek lottery tender
Meanwhile, the Greek national lottery tender has come down to a battle between the incumbent OPAP and IGT’s rebranded lottery division Brightstar. The two operators have formally submitted expressions of interest in acquiring exclusive operational rights to a package of state lotteries for at least 10 years.
Launched in June, the tender covers the main Greek national lottery Ethnikó as well as other state-owned lotteries, the Instant State Lottery, the State Housing Lottery, the Popular Lottery and the Special Social National Lottery, as well as the Extraordinary or Special Lottery drawn by the European Association of State Lotteries (AELLE).
